Healing The Heart
by SecondStarToTheRight18
Summary: - ABANDONED - When love is all you've got... you learn to believe.
1. 1: Surreal Love

**I do not own Summerland.**

Hello, again, my peoples! I know it's been a while and that I probably won't have as many readers as before, due to my long absense, but I really hope I'll have at least a few people reading this story! I've missed it on here, I've missed writing and I've missed all of my loyal readers/reviewers so it gives me great joy to say, as promised at the end of On The Edge of Sanity, "_I'm back..._" (wow, what a speech! kidding, kidding haha)

Okay, anyway, about the story now; This is the sequel to Hidden Secrets of My Broken Heart. If you haven't read that one, I really, really suggest you go read it first. Otherwise, you'll be lost in a lot of stuff in this one. But you're welcome to do whatever, haha that's why it's up after all, to be read!

To those who have already read HSOMBH (Hidden Secrets of My Broken Heart) this story begins the day after Bradin and Teresa's engagement.

I promise you can read in a minute but one more thing. This story is for **BJ (SoMuchForMyHappyEnding)**_,_ **Mary (ShiaLover09)**and, most of all, for **Cody (Codywells305)**. Thank y'all for staying on my butt till I got back on it! I love you guys and I truly hope it's everything you're expecting! ((hearts))

Okay, I hope you will enjoy it and review it regardless! And now, in 3, 2, 1, read! haha

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**Chapter I**

**Surreal Love**

Teresa Coleman sighed deeply and dreamily as she pulled off her green tank top, pink "boy shorts," sports bra and underwear. Turning on the hot water she spun around to look in the mirror for a second while it heated up. Acknowledging that she "needed" to lose a couple of pounds and that she could use some face wash, she turned back to the shower and stepped in. The warm water cascading down her back felt good... She let it wash away all the sleepiness that she had this early in the morning and thought about the night before.

"_Gosh, Brae... I can't believe how wonderful this is.. and now we're getting married! Can you believe that??" Teresa laughed gleefully, like a small child who just found her favorite toy._

_"Baby... after what we've been through together I can believe anything!" Bradin Westerly laughed with her. He kissed her forehead and whispered into her ear, "I love you so much..."_

Sighing dreamily, Teresa picked up a bottle of shampoo, poured some into her hands and began to lather it through her red/brown hair.

_"Oh, I can't wait to tell my mom!! She's going to be so... so... so something!" Teresa laughed again. Could life get any better?_

_Bradin laughed. "My aunt's gonna freak out and tell me she can't believe this and that it was just yesterday that I was a baby and she was holding me in the hospital room with my mom..." His voice trailed off and he looked out at the ocean as the last rays of sunlight disappeared behind the horizon. "You know sometimes when it's calm and quite, like this," sadness crept into his voice, "I really miss my parents and it hits me that they're really never coming back..."_

"_I know... it's the same with me about my dad and brother... it hurts, I know, but... I also know they're up there and they're looking down, smiling!" Teresa smiled and hugged Bradin tighter._

"_Yeah..." Bradin said softly. After a minute of silence he added, "Well, we better go now, huh?"_

_"Yeah, we better..." Teresa bent down and grabbed her and Bradin's shirts. "Here," she handed him his and he put it on. Slipping hers over her bikini top she linked her arm in Bradin's and, taking one last look at the ocean and sky, the two walked back towards where Teresa's car was parked._

Teresa smiled, she was so in love with him... How _had_ she managed to end up with a guy like him anyway!? Never mind, that wasn't important... _It was definitely destiny._ She decided, as she finished shaving her legs. It was 4:30am now and she was at her friend, Ali Johnson's, house in Raines, California with Bradin. They would be leaving within the next 2 hours so she had to hurry if she still wanted to visit with Ali a little more before she left.

She rinsed off and thought about how excited Ali had been when they arrived at her house. She and her mother, LeAnna, had made the two teens feel right at home almost instantly. _It was a shame they couldn't stay longer..._ Teresa thought. Turning the faucet off, Teresa stepped out of the shower and grabbed her towel. Quickly drying herself everywhere else, she put her hair up in it and slipped on a purple robe Ali had given her to wear. She grabbed her dirty clothes and hurried out of the bathroom. Entering the guestroom she and Bradin were staying in while they were there she shut the door and locked it. Bradin was still asleep, he looked so cute when he was sleeping... Smiling, Teresa walked over to him and shook him, gently. Although she had tried not to startle him, she did it anyway. She knew he always jumped upon first waking up so she tried to be very gentle but it didn't work... She had laughed and teased him about this once and he'd gotten upset saying she shouldn't laugh about that because, up until Jerry Brown, he had never been like that. She had stopped laughing instantly.

"Morning, Brae..." Teresa said lowly, kissing him softly on the cheek as he rolled over and sat up, "It's still real early and Ali and her mom aren't up yet so we'd better be quiet."

Bradin nodded, sleepily, "Okay..." he said quietly.

"Sorry I startled you..." Teresa walked over to her suitcase and pulled out one of the two changes of clothes she'd packed.

"It's okay... I don't know how long that's gonna take to go away but whatever..." Bradin tried to brush it off but it all still hurt so deeply... "God... I wish I could go to sleep and stay asleep just once..." he mumbled, rubbing his eyes.

Teresa dug through her bag trying to find a pair of socks to wear with her converse shoes, she hated wearing them barefoot. She really should have packed this thing to be more organized! "What do you mean you wish you could go to sleep and stay asleep?"

"I just mean that I had another damn nightmare, that's all..." he swung his legs over the side of the bed and stood up.

"I'm sorry... wanna talk about it?" Teresa stole a glance at her fiancé. He was stretching to wake himself up but stopped at this question.

"No." he looked over at her, "I mean, yes, but no... I mean... I don't know..." he sighed, defeated.

"I think you'd feel better," Teresa said, quietly, "Here, I'll help you. What was it about?"

"The same old..." Bradin looked at the floor.

"And was it as real as usual?"

"Yeah... pretty much..."

"So... it woke you up, right?" Teresa finally found the socks, "There you are!" she thought as she pulled them out of the bag. It was only one.

"Yeah... I hate that... it takes me forever, if I even do, to get back to sleep..." Bradin sighed and walked over to his suitcase, "I guess I'll grab a shower before we have to leave..."

"Okay... are you okay now, though?" Teresa groaned, "Where the heck is that sock!?"

"Yeah, I'm okay..." Bradin walked over to her, bent down, kissed her softly on the lips and whispered, "Thank you."

Teresa smiled, "You're welcome, and I'm always here!"

"I know." Bradin stood up, "Oh, and the other sock is under that pink shirt."

"Huh?" Teresa moved a pink shirt out of the way and, sure enough, there was the other sock she was looking for. "How did you know that?"

"I saw it when you moved the shirt a minute ago..." Bradin shrugged, "I'll be back in a little while." With that he left Teresa to get dressed while he got a shower.

Teresa laughed in spite of herself, "How had she missed that anyway..." Rolling her eyes she picked out blue jeans and a seasonal, light sweater, as it wasn't really cold enough for anything more in southern California. Slipping these on over a bikini top and bottom she attended to her hair. It was a mess as it always was after she washed it. She pulled the brush through her slightly wavy hair and smiled at her reflection. It had been just yesterday, hadn't it, that her mother would brush her hair for her and put it up in pig tails... She stared into nowhere for a minute before shaking herself back to reality and finishing up her hair. She decided to wear it in a half tale and clip that back with a slim, silver clip. Just as she was finishing up her make up Bradin came back in the room, wearing a towel around his waist and, Teresa assumed, nothing more.

"Hey, sexy!" she said, still looking in the mirror as she applied a light blue, eye liner.

"Hey, yourself! I don't see why you girls all think makeup makes you look better! You look hot without it, you know?" Bradin said, digging through his bag.

"I don't wanna look hot! I wanna look cute or sexy, but not hot."

"I meant girls in general... you look sexy at any and every time." Bradin saved himself.

"Okay, Mr. Now get dressed while I go down and see what breakfast there might be..."

"Don't wanna stay?" Bradin asked, grinning impishly at her.

"No, thanks, tiger!" Teresa pretended to frown but she was really smiling. "Come down when you're ready."

"Okay." Bradin agreed, again turning his attention to his bag.

Heading down the stairs Teresa found that Ali and her mother were up now and busily cooking in the kitchen. "Good morning, you guys!" Teresa smiled and gave her friend a hug.

"Good morning, Teresa!" LeAnna smiled.

"'Mornin', girl!" Ali laughed, "Somebody's a morning person!"

"I try!" Teresa laughed back, "Need any help?"

"No, thanks, you're the guest! Sit down and relax!" Ali urged. "So, where's that way-too-hot boyfriend of yours? Teresa's friend winked.

Laughing, Teresa said, "He's getting dressed, he'll be down in a few. Oh, and, Ali?"

"Mm, hmm?" Ali looked up at her friend.

"He's not my boyfriend anymore, remember?" Teresa flashed her left hand.

"My, God, that's right! How could I forget!! Let me see it again!" she smiled widely as the 16 year old held out her hand. "Oh, it's gorgeous, Reese!" Ali gushed.

"Thanks... it is, isn't it?" Teresa smiled, turning her hand left and right to get a good look at the ring. Not that she really needed one after having stayed up half the night looking at it!

"_Mm, hmm_," Ali agreed with emphasis.

"Good morning, guys!" Bradin entered the kitchen, smiling.

"Good morning, Bradin!" was the reply from all three women. They all laughed.

"So, you two slept well, I assume?" LeAnna asked her daughter's guests politely.

"Yes, Ma'am, thank you for asking." Teresa answered politely.

After the four had eaten breakfast and talked a little while longer, Teresa and Bradin got their things and hit the road once more, for their trip home.

"Bye, Reese! Call me and come back down here sometime _soon_, you got that?" Ali called as they backed out of the driveway.

"I will! Bye, girl!" Teresa called back.

"Bye!"

"So, Brae, what did you think of Ali and her mother?" Teresa asked her boyfriend, who was driving, after they'd gotten back out on the "open road."

"They're really nice. Where'd you meet Ali?" Bradin replied.

"At school back in South Carolina... we were tight." Teresa laughed, "Then she moved out here and we thought we might never see each other in person again but then Matt-" she fought back tears, she still couldn't talk about Matt at times...

Bradin put a hand over hers and said, "I know..."

Teresa knew he meant he knew what she was about to say and that he also knew what she was feeling... He didn't need to specify between the two. She intertwined her fingers in his and he squeezed her hand. She couldn't believe how much she loved him... and how much he loved her. It was surreal.

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And there she is, the first chapter of what I hope is another great story! Luv to all reviewers, please let me know what you think!

_Anna Christie_


	2. 2: Be Okay

**I do not own Summerland.**

**MissAnomaly:** Wow, thank you! I think I sent you a review reply, didn't I? Yeah, I'm pretty sure haha. Anyway, thank you so much for reading my stories! I totally hope you like this new chapter and I look forward to your review!! )

**somuch4myhappyending:** haha I know, I know... 978632153 years... hides too long haha but... I'M SERIOULSY BACK haha okay, so yeah, thank you for the incredible review, I know you're mad at me but... this chapter should make up for it... please? Cause, dude, it's twice as long as my normal chapters!! I'm serious, my normal ones are about 2,000 words and this one is 4,042! Please don't be mad anymore!! gives you puppy eyes haha I'm glad it was a bit of a "drug" haha for after your finals! I really hope you enjoy this ch and I can't wait to read your review!! "**TeresaxBradin forever?? I know so! they are too damn cute for words!!" **Ah, but are they forever? Or is there something that could tear them apart?? Read on, baby!

**ShiaLover09:** Hey, girl! Did ya like my dedication? Haha I hope you like this chapter!! And btw, if you want me to, I'll refresh your memory on HSOMBH. But if you're sure you're good, it's fine haha so long as you're not lost reading this story! Here's your next ch! ) And I'm sure you can't wait to see what happens next becasue, unlike everyone else haha, you have had a glimpse of the future! If you remember it or I not, I dk but you have! Now read!

**angelprncess18:** Thank you for reading and reviewing! I hope you like this chapter.

**One more thing, y'all. I was thinking about how people who originally read Hidden Secrets of My Broken Heart but don't remember it all that well, but don't wanna read it over, might like it if I did a sort of "overview" refresher thing. Just let me know if y'all want me too and I'll put it at the start of ch 3. K, now read!!**

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**Chapter II**

**Be Okay**

They didn't talk much on the way back home... they just seemed to know what the other was thinking and knew that they were thinking about the family members they had each lost. Finally, with about 2 hours driving left to do, Teresa started a conversation without fully meaning to.

"Bradin, what do you want the wedding to be like?"

"Me?" Bradin glanced over at her, then shot his eyes back to the road, "Well, for gosh sake, Reese, I don't care! So long as you walk down that aisle, I'm good." He smiled.

"Bradin!" Teresa couldn't help laughing. "You must want _something_ for it!"

"Not really, I think you should decide everything... you'll have way more fun with it than I ever will! I mean, come on, everybody know that it's the girls who love fooling with all that!" Bradin insisted, "We guys just want that one, special, amazing girl who we somehow managed to make fall in love with us, to say 'I do.'" He laughed.

Teresa laughed too, "I guess you're right... we _do_ enjoy all the shopping and decorating and picking the theme and all that... But you have to help me pick at least _some_ of that, okay?"

"Sure, I'll help you... I just meant, I never really thought about how I'd want my wedding... girls tend to do that, if you haven't noticed." Bradin glanced at Teresa and gave a wink making her laugh again.

"I've noticed, believe me..." Teresa sighed and stared off into space for a good 20 minutes before Bradin said, "God, Reese, what _are_ you thinking about!?"

Teresa laughed, "Our wedding of course!" she kept laughing and Bradin just rolled his eyes as a mile marker flew past the car. They now had about an hour and a half's worth of driving left.

--

"Gosh, that's not really that far if you don't think about it..." Bradin said, as they drove down a familiar street leading back into Playa Linda.

"What's not?" Teresa asked, looking up from the notebook she had open on her lap.

"From here to Raines." Bradin said.

"Oh, I know, it's not really... just takes you all morning and most of the afternoon _if_ you leave _early_." Teresa laughed.

"Yeah... okay, I get it. But it's not _that_ far."

"Nope." Teresa closed the notebook, she could hardly see it anymore anyway. It was nearly dark since they had left about 2 hours later from Raines then they had from Playa Linda, thus making them arrive two hours later, making it dark.

"Am I dropping myself off at my house so you can just take the car home from there or what?" Bradin asked, as they neared their street.

"Well, I could come to your house before I go back to mine if you want... Or I could just go home and get some sleep and I'll see you in the morning for that dinner you guys invited us to... either is fine with me, it's up to you." Teresa said.

"Hmm... Okay, well, how 'bout you come to my house and have something to eat... I mean, I kinda imagine both our families have already eaten so you and I could eat together, if you want." Bradin suggested.

"Of course I want!" Teresa laughed, "I'll call my mom from your house and tell her I won't be home till say, about 9:00pm? It's ten till seven now."

"Sure, nine sounds good." Bradin smiled. He had gotten to his house and pulled up, turned off the engine and smiled as Jay came out of the house and grabbed his bag, "I got that, you help the lady and put up this top, it's about to rain!" he said, quickly.

Bradin looked up at the sky and realized Jay was right. Teresa and he quickly put up the top on her car and locked it. They entered the house just as a soft rain began to fall. The strong smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies hit the two as soon as they stepped in the house causing them both to breathe deeply and let out a sigh, "Mmm, something smells delicious!" Teresa exclaimed.

Jay laughed, "You're just in time for some of Ava's homemade cookies!"

"But dinner first, if you two haven't eaten." Ava said, giving her nephew a hug. "I missed you." she added, smiling.

"He was only gone a day, Aunt Ava!" Nikki laughed, coming out of the kitchen with a glass of milk and two chocolate chip cookies.

Bradin laughed, "Well, who says she can't miss me!? Didn't you?" he made Nikki blush.

"Oh, shut up, smart a-" Ava shot her niece a warning look making Nikki change her word choice, "-leck." she finished.

Bradin laughed again and put his arm around Teresa, "Nobody missed her?"

Ava smiled and gave her nephew's girlfriend a hug, saying, "Of course I missed her!"

Teresa smiled. "Missed you guys too but right now, I've gotta get me some of those cookies! They smell heavenly!" she said, laughing.

"Thank you, I just hope they live up to their smell in taste."

"They do!" Nikki said, her mouth full of cookie.

Ava laughed, "Manners, Nikki."

"Sorry- oops- Oh... never mind-" Nikki's mouth was still full of cookie making everyone in the room laugh.

After the two teens ate supper and had some of Ava's cookies for dessert, Bradin took Teresa upstairs to his room, leaving the family in the living room watching The Nightmare Before Christmas.

Ava realized that they were alone in Bradin's room and whispered to Johnny to come into the kitchen with her.

"What's up?" Johnny asked, once they were out of earshot of the rest of the family.

"I'm just... well, I mean, do you think I ought to talk to Bradin about... well, I mean..."

"About what?"

"Sex. No, I don't mean like, having 'the talk' with him, I know his father did that back when he was 13, I meant--"

"How do you know that?" Johnny wanted to know.

"Karen told me." Ava shrugged.

"Oh, go on."

"Well, I just mean... don't you know what I mean?" Ava looked up at Johnny

Johnny was clearly, judging by the look on his face, amused by Ava's embarrassment of the subject but sobered as soon as she saw. "Sorry. Um... well, I guess I know what you mean... maybe somebody should talk to him... but I don't really know what we're gonna say... I mean... what exactly _do_ you mean?"

"I guess I mean, how sex means something special to us, meaning the female race, and it's not just... well, it's not just a night like a lot of guys think... And how careful he should be and-"

"You know what, Ava?" Johnny interrupted.

"What?"

"I just rethought it and I don't really see a reason to talk to him... I mean, Bradin's a very responsible young man and I doubt seriously he wouldn't use protection. And I _know_ he would never take advantage of Teresa or do anything to hurt her... it would mean just as much to him as it would to her. He loves her too much for it not to. And, besides that, I doubt they're even sexually involved at all... I mean, for God's sake, the boy's been molested for the past year and a half with only a brief break in the middle and he hasn't seemed too keen on anything sexual since..."

"What makes you say that?" Ava raised an eyebrow.

Johnny chuckled, "Well, see... I kind of... 'spied' on them one day..."

"Oh? So you were nervous about it too, huh?" Ava folded her arms, pretending to be disapproving.

"Yeah, I was. Anyway, I spied on them, if you will, and Bradin just really, really doesn't seem like he's ready to do anything yet... So, you know, I don't think we have to talk to him... plus, if you'll remember, Teresa was pregnant and she doesn't seem ready to do anything yet either..."

"You're right..." Ava said slowly, thinking it through. "I guess... well, it was just instinct to think we should talk to him."

"I know completely," Johnny agreed, "I felt the same way... till I spied." He laughed.

"Mm, hmm, about that..." Ava came up to him and put her arms around his neck, "How," she kissed him, "would- you- like- it- if- he- spied- on- you?" she kissed him between each word.

"It wouldn't be me who wouldn't like it, it'd be him!" he kissed Ava deeply before she could pretend to act entirely shocked and the next thing he knew the kitchen door had opened and Jay was saying, "Whoa... sorry!" and turning around and letting the door fall shut behind him.

"We should go somewhere more... private." Ava said lowly, her eyes half closed as Johnny pulled away.

Johnny nodded. "But um, we better wait till the kids are gone to bed, don't you think?"

"Yeah..." Ava went over to the microwave and popped more popcorn and took it into the living room and poured it into the, now empty, bowl on the coffee table.

Jay smiled, "How'd you know?"

"That's the only reason you'd get up from a movie unless the house was on fire." Ava smirked.

Jay rolled his eyes and took a handful of popcorn, "Well, thanks just the same." He turned his attention back the movie.

Ava and Johnny watched the rest of the movie. When it was over they sent Nikki to bed and covered Derrick, who had fallen asleep on the couch, with a blanket. Susannah retired and so did Jay, leaving Johnny and Ava alone in the kitchen.

"Shall we?" Johnny asked, his eyes twinkling.

Ava laughed then stopped, "Oh God, wait a second, Teresa never went home, did she!?"

Johnny started to laugh but there was a knock on the door. Raising one eyebrow, Johnny opened the door to find Karen Coleman standing on the patio. "Oh, hey..." he said, opening the door all the way so she could come in.

"Hey, is my daughter still here?" she smiled a which-just-plain-old-figures-and-doesn't-surprise-me-one-bit smile.

"Actually, we just realized that too. Just a minute and I'll see where she is..." Johnny hurried out of the kitchen and upstairs. Leaving Ava to talk to Teresa's mother.

"I'm sorry, Karen, we were all watching a movie and I didn't even realize she was still here..." Ava laughed.

"Oh, it's alright, I was just trying to make sure she _was_ still at your house... I didn't want something to have happened to her... But I probably should have just called... Incidentally though, how could you forget she was there if y'all were all watching a movie?" Karen laughed as well.

"Well, they're in Bradin's room..." Ava said slowly, hoping Karen wouldn't be upset by this.

"Oh..." was all she said, the look on her face not really changing.

Ava bit her lip. "Is that..."

"It's alright, I just... well, mother's instinct kicking in, I guess..." Karen said.

"I understand... just a second, I better see what's taking Johnny so long..." Ava hurried out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

--

Johnny left the kitchen after handing Ava the phone and hurried up the stairs to find Karen Coleman's daughter. He knocked on Bradin's door, simply because, if they _were _doing anything, he really didn't think walking in on them would be the greatest thing... he knew he wouldn't wanna see it just as much they wouldn't want him to see it. There was no answer and he smiled. Opening the door slowly, he found just what he expected to. Bradin was laying on his bed, his arm around Teresa's waist where she laid right beside him, both of them sound asleep.

He gently shook Teresa, trying to wake her up but to no avail. Next he tried Bradin. Same story. He couldn't help smiling. Then he noticed something... a ring. On Teresa's left hand. A diamond ring on Teresa's left hand. Somehow it shocked him... He knew Bradin was extremely serious about this girl and he knew they were in love but... he hadn't quite thought that Bradin might propose to her... at least, not this soon. She hadn't been wearing it when they arrived. He was sure... had Bradin proposed to her since they went up to his room? Or had she just taken it off during dinner... More likely, that was the case. So, they were getting married, huh...

"Oh..."

Johnny turned around to find Ava laughing quietly in the doorway.

"Yep, they just fell asleep, I'll wake her up though-"

"Oh, don't bother."

Johnny and Ava turned to see Karen come through the doorway.

"Unless you mind, she can just stay here."

"We don't mind." Ava smiled.

Suddenly, Karen's whole face took on a look of utter shock. "Oh!" she gasped.

Ava saw it then, too. "Oh God..." the two women looked at each other unbelievingly.

"My baby... engaged?" Karen finally got out, in a sort of squeaky voice. She put a hand to her mouth, but she was smiling.

"Wow..." was all Ava could manage.

After the three of them stood there a minute more Ava put a blanket over the young couple and they shut the door and went back downstairs.

"Just tell Teresa to come home as soon as she wakes up so she can help me with some things before we come to your house for dinner, alright?" Karen said, as she was heading out the door.

"I will." Ava smiled.

"Oh, let me drive you home, Karen." Johnny said, coming up behind Ava.

"Alright, thank you." Karen accepted, "I am chilly and walking back doesn't appeal to me much right now." She laughed.

Ava smiled, "I should have thought of that."

"I'll be right back, Ava," Johnny said, giving her a wink.

"I'll be in my room..." Ava smiled mischievously then laughed. She was glad Karen had already walked out to the car...

--

"Oh, God... Did I sleep here last night?" Teresa Coleman rubbed her eyes as she mumbled to her boyfriend, who was already up.

"No, I came and got you before dawn..." Bradin said while combing his hair in the mirror.

"Ha, ha. Does my mother know!?" Teresa laughed.

"Aunt Ava says she came over to make sure you were still here and hadn't disappeared or something and that she saw you asleep and said you could just stay here..." Bradin looked around the room. He was obviously in a rush.

"Oh, cool... what's up?" Teresa asked, stretching, "When did you even get up?"

"About 5," Bradin bent down and looked under the bed, "Get your butt out from under there!"

Teresa looked at the clock, it was 7:00am. "Whoa, you got up early..." she bent over the side of the bed, "Who you talkin' to? The 'under-the-bed phantom?'" she laughed.

"No, Nikki's kitten... she's been looking for her all morning." Bradin reached under the bed and gently pulled the tiny kitten out and cuddled her in his arm.

"Nikki!" he yelled into the hall, opening the door. "I found her!"

Nikki called back from somewhere in the house, "Oh, good!"

"Come get her!"

"Where are you!?"

"My room." With that, Bradin shut the door and set the kitten on his bed, where Teresa still sat. "Oh, your mom wanted us to tell you to come home as soon as you got up but I'm sure you can have some breakfast. Go downstairs, Aunt Ava made us a good old fashioned farm breakfast!" Bradin laughed but stopped short. "Bacon, eggs, biscuits and grits..." he turned away from Teresa, suddenly quiet.

Teresa got up and came over to where Bradin stood by his dresser. Putting her arms around his waist she pulled him close to her and snuggled her head in his neck. He turned around so he was facing her and kissed her gently. "You would have loved my mom..." he whispered.

"I'm sure I would have." Her eyes filled with tears. She knew he missed her but she didn't think she'd ever really seen him upset about that and nothing else... it had always been a mixture of Jerry Brown's ass and his parents or something like that... It was never _just_ his parents. She kind of wondered what brought it on... maybe the "farm" breakfast... They lived on a farm before, she remembered he told her.

Bradin closed his eyes and buried his head in Teresa's hair. She was so good to him... always there and always caring... He only hoped that he was as good to her.

Nikki burst through the door saying, "Man, Aunt Ava can talk your head off if you give her half a chance- oops, sorry..." she grabbed her kitten, "I'll go-"

"It's alright, Nik." Bradin said, pulling away from Teresa. "Reese, you better get home..."

"Yeah... but I _do_ think I'll have some of that breakfast before I go..." Teresa said quietly. "Nikki, you got a brush I can use?"

"Help yourself to anything in my room," Nikki laughed, "I'll just get it back from you later, like, if you wanna change clothes or use one of my hair bands, which, by the way, would look so cute in your hair!"

"Thanks!" Teresa gave Bradin a kiss on the cheek and left the room.

The teenage boy turned back the dresser.

"You okay, Brae?" Nikki wanted to know.

"I guess..." Bradin turned around, "Nik?"

"Yeah?" Nikki turned back to him. She had been walking out the door.

"What do you miss the most?"

Nikki looked down, then walked over to Bradin and hugged him. "I don't know... it's different things at different times... Like, right now, I was thinking how mom _always_ made us a breakfast like the one Aunt Ava made this morning... And how she always made Christmas the most magical thing in the world... you know?"

"I do know!" Bradin laughed to keep from crying, "God, do I ever know... In fact, it was the breakfast that made me think about them... And about Christmas... yes, Nikki. God, yes... she did and nobody can ever make it better..."

Nikki smiled through tears that fell from her eyes. "God, Bradin! Why won't you ever just cry!?" she laughed sobs, "I mean, I know you want to... You know you want to! You make me feel so weak..." She tried to pull herself together but couldn't.

Bradin looked at the floor. She was right. He did want to. And she was also right... well, sort of. She shouldn't feel weak but he was trying to be strong for her and Derrick... a tear slipped down his cheek.

"Ha!" Nikki pretended to be accusing him but she was laughing and crying and just trying to stop both all at once. She threw her arms around Bradin's neck and held onto him tightly. He put his arms around her back and pulled her tightly to his chest. He knew she was hurting just as much as he was and that, if her holding him was making him feel better, him holding her would make her feel better. He knew he couldn't help it anymore and, honestly, he didn't give a damn. Tears fell from his eyes and Nikki's whole body shook with sobs. They held each other and cried there in Bradin's room. With the curtain still closed from when Teresa was asleep. Bradin realized that the door to his room was open but he didn't care... well, he did but he couldn't close it. He just held Nikki as she cried aloud. He was crying too... silently. Just tears... he wouldn't let himself do anything more but... He was suddenly aware that someone was at the door. He looked up, his face tear stained, and saw his aunt standing in the doorway, her eyes full, like a dam about to burst. She came in the room, pushing the door half closed behind her and came over to the siblings. "Oh, guys..." she pulled them both into her arms and held them tightly, murmuring, "Shh... it's gonna be okay..." she didn't have to ask them what was wrong. She knew and, honestly, she was upset too... after all, nobody seemed to think about it but she had lost her sister just as they had lost their mother... but they lost their father too... so it was worse, she figured. And besides, they were still kids no matter how mature or how strong, they _were_ still kids. "It'll be alright... it really will..."

Nikki cried harder, her tears soaking her brother's shirt where her head rested on his shoulder, and Bradin let his body fall limp against his aunt and sister, tears still falling down his face as well... he was so tired of being strong! He just wanted to let it all go... but he wouldn't. He just wouldn't... not now anyway. And... they said that time always 'heals the wounds we feel' but would it really? It had already been a little over half a year and they both, no, all three, plus his aunt, still felt it... _strongly_. But maybe... Maybe it would... it would just take a little _more_ time... But it _was_ going to be okay...

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Hope you liked it... but I won't know unless you review!!

_Anna Christie_

PS Y'all should totally go check out Mary's (ShiaLove09) story, Temptations, it's awesome!


	3. Refresher of HSOMBH

_Mkay, here goes nothing! A summary of Hidden Secrets of My Broken Heart. Hope this is clear enough!) Going in order of what happened FYI (kinda duh haha)_

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Teresa Coleman's family is in a car accident killing her father and fatally injuring her brother, Matthew.

Matt wishes he could see the sunset on the Pacific Coast before he dies and the "Make A Wish Foundation" pays for the family to move to Playa Linda, California where Teresa's mother's sister lives. _(Her mother's name is Karen and her mother's sister's name is Rachel. She also has a baby sister, Lillian FYI) _

Matt dies very shortly after they move.

Teresa's 16th Birthday arrives and she lets go of Matt for good. She knows he would want her to move on with her life and be happy. In fact, she had promised him she would before he died.

Teresa meets Bradin on the beach early the morning of her 16th birthday and invites him to her party since she really doesn't know _anybody_ in Playa Linda. The two become fast friends.

Bradin's parents had died 2 months before he met Teresa and he was still dealing with that.

He was molested back in Kansas by one of his father's friends, Jerry Brown, and it haunts him.

He seems to be going crazy and everyone's worried about him.

Ava finds a note he wrote to God and gets even more worried because it's all about his parents and how much he misses them, his mother especially, and that he just wishes God would send him an angel to make everything okay.

After the family meets Teresa Jay states that he thinks, "God sent him that angel he was asking for."

Bradin tells Nikki what Jerry used to do to him and how it bothers him the night of Teresa's party after he gets home.

Nikki tells Ava everything she can without mentioning Jerry at all. So it's mostly just about their parents. She had promised Bradin she wouldn't tell and she wasn't going to break that promise.

The next day he goes out intending to kill himself and runs into Teresa. She can tell something's up and offers to talk to him. He tells Teresa after her telling him he can trust her and prompting him by telling him all about her life first. _(Yes, they built trust fast, okay? But hey, that's how love is haha or so I've been told.)_

Teresa doesn't judge him and he's sort of amazed but very thankful and he knows that he really can trust her then.

They head back to his house and Bradin sees Jerry Brown. Teresa tells him it's gonna be okay and kisses him on the cheek.

For the next two weeks Ava pressures him constantly to tell him what's going on cause she's sure it isn't just dreams of his parents._ (He was having nightmares of his parents, like, everything would be like it was back in Kansas and then something bad would always happen in the end and they'd die. If I remember that all right haha I tried looking but didn't find it. Ah ha! I just found it haha yep, I was right, that's what was happening.)_

Somewhere along the way in those two weeks Bradin and Teresa realize they really like each other and start going out.

Derrick wakes up from a nightmare and tells Bradin that "that man who used to come over was hurting Nikki again." Bradin calms him down but then he Bradin knows that Jerry used to hurt Nikki too. He confronts her and she admits Jerry raped her 4 times but that Derrick only knew about one. Which he actually only knew was beating, he doesn't know what rape is anyway.

Bradin and Nikki didn't tell anyone because each of them was threatened by Jerry that he would hurt the other if they did when all along he was anyway. But they didn't know it so they kept quiet.

Johnny befriends Jerry Brown completely unknowing of what he used to do to Nikki and Bradin, or that they even knew him. He's at their house one day and he and Bradin have a small fight but he acts nonchalant about it but threatens Bradin and Nikki quietly so no one else hears him. _(I was kinda stupid writing all this part because Bradin mentions "if you so much as look at my sister" but then Jerry's able to convince everybody that "Bradin and he just don't like each other." Later. Which is kinda dumb on my part cause wouldn't they wonder? Haha but oh well, hopefully I'm a better writer then that now! Well,Ii just looked at it all again and I see that I made Ava all skeptical and she keeps asking Bradin what the fight was about so I guess... haha but y'all seemed to like it originally so I'm good!)_

Jerry catches Bradin alone on the beach right before a bad storm and beats the hell out of him and leaves him to die or wash away with the tide or whatever.

Teresa's afraid of storms because that's how her dad died and what injured her brother which eventually killed him and so she leaves her house to go to Bradin's hoping he'll just hold her or something. She just hates being alone. Along the way she sees Bradin laying on the beach and manages to get him to her house where she cleans him up and finds out what happened.

They almost make love but a memory is haunting Teresa and she mumbles something about "she's sorry, but she just can't do it... not yet anyway..."

Bradin sleeps at her house, in the same bed, that night which is a feat cause he's still nervous about being in the same bed with somebody. It's a huge "guard-let-down" for him.

He's in a lot of pain but feels better in the morning.

They go back to his house where his aunt and Johnny are waiting to confront him about what Jerry had said. _(Guess I should mention what that is, huh? Haha Just before Bradin went for a walk while the storm was coming up Jerry had showed up at his house and he and Johnny had had an argument about it and Johnny yelled, "He's never done anything to you, Bradin!" After that Johnny talks to Jerry cause he's sure there's more to this story then a simple, "we don't like each other" thing. Jerry tells some crap story about having caught Bradin in bed with one of his girlfriends back in Kansas when he was 15. He says that, because Bradin was like a song to him, he did what any parent would do and told Bradin's parents and that they grounded him the rest of the school year and the whole summer and that they forbid him from seeing his girlfriend anymore. "After that Bradin hated me" he claims. He's a damn good actor, by the way haha)_

Bradin almost passes out while they're yelling at him and accusing him of sleeping with Teresa the night before. They start to get worried but Teresa makes up a story about them having run all the way from her house and that he must still be "dizzy" Ava and Johnny seem to buy this and continue asking him questions. He says that he doesn't care what they might think but that, looking his aunt in the eye to prove he's not lying, "I have never had sex with a girl before." Ava starts to ask what Jerry meant if that's true but Johnny motions for her to stop.

The teens go to Bradin's room and Bradin asks Teresa what she meant last night when she said she wasn't read "at least not yet" After some protest she admits that she had slept with her boyfriend when she was 14 and gotten pregnant and that he told her to have an abortion and he'd be there for her. But he wasn't, he never spoke to her again in fact. She's still very hurt from it and Bradin's the first boyfriend she's had since because of how much he broke her trust. Bradin promises her that he's not like that and he makes her promise to forget what he (carl, her ex) did to her. She says she'll try with his help and they smile

Ava and Johnny overhear that conversation and go to Ava's room to talk. They almost make love but Bradin knocks on the door to ask if he can go see a movie with Teresa and the mood is broken.

That night Ava and Johnny get together.

The next morning Ava asks Jay to go get Bradin for breakfast. He gets to Bradin's room and Bradin, who can't take it anymore, tells him everything. Jerry comes over that day and Jay wants to "give him a piece of my mind" but Bradin says there's no proof and that they're going to have to "catch him in the act" so to speak so Jay lets it go for right then. He agrees to tell Ava what's going on with him if she'll let him ask her a question. She agrees and he tells her everything that same day. Then he asks whether she and Johnny had "you know whated" the night before. She blushes and he says, "Then you did!' to which she blushes worse and cries, "Bradin Westerly!" He goes off chuckling.

Jay and Ava decide to tell Johnny what's going on. Meanwhile Bradin goes to Teresa's house and gets her. She seems ticked at her mom and Bradin asks her what's up and she says how they've been fighting and how distant her mother is and that she's been struggling with herself. (how she looks etc.) Bradin tells her she'' beautiful and she believes him.

Ava and Jay tell the other adults everything while Bradin's gone to Teresa's then

Jerry eats dinner there that night and there is thick tension in the air.

Jerry comes back that night and sneaks into Bradin's room from his balcony. He fights him but Jerry knocks him out, carries him down the trellis somehow and drives off in his car. Meanwhile all the adults had been aroused by the sounds of fighting in Bradin's room and they were trying to break down the door. Nikki comes out of her room and bursts out to Ava that Jerry raped her. Everyone goes silent then jumps into action again as somebody cries in pain from Bradin's room. By the time they get in, using the trellis, Jerry's gone with Bradin.

Ava asks Susannah to call Karen Coleman and ask her if she'd watch Derrick and to tell Teresa what's going on. Karen quickly agrees and says she's waking Teresa up right then. They hang up and Susannah says that they're praying. The tone of her voice says that they should to which they do.

Jerry takes Bradin up to a "cliff" called Hollinger's Point. He intends to "have a little fun" with Bradin then kill him. He beats Bradin till he passes out and when Bradin wakes up he says, "Come on, kid, I've had my fun, now the game's over!" He jerks Bradin up and leads him to the edge of the cliff and says, "Tell me, Bradin, this how you pictured you'd go out?" Bradin can't speak, he thinks it's ironic he should die by water the same as his parents. All Jerry has to do is push him over the edge and bye, bye, Bradin. He turns Bradin to him and says, "Now, as any good friend should do, I wish you well in the 'after life!!'" and pushes him backwards. Bradin screams "No!" and grabs for Jerry's hand, which he gets hold of for a split second before Jerry shakes it off. But it was long enough to turn the tides. He falls forward instead, gasping. They fight and Jerry's just gotten the upper hand when a voice shouts sternly, "Stop." Bradin couldn't see anybody but he recognized the voice as Jay's. Jerry pulls a pistol out of nowhere. _(or so it seems, but it was in his pocket the whole time haha)_ He says if they get one step closer it's curtains for Bradin. _(now, I'm gonna make y'all read this if you wanna know how it all goes. It's a long dialogue that I think turned out pretty well haha but I'm not putting it here)_

Jerry shoot the gun at Bradin's head but Bradin was already dropping his head (oh, he's on the ground btw haha) and so the bullet misses him by inches.

Jay rushes Jerry and sends him flying several feet. He kneels by Bradin and sees he's still alive. After that Bradin rages with a new found fire because he remembered what Jerry had done to Nikki he talks Jerry backwards till they're 5 feet from the edge of the cliff and he stops suddenly. He's never seen somebody look so scared. He says nothing and does nothing. A second later Jerry suddenly turns and with 3 quick strides, falls over the side of the cliff. Bradin falls to the ground, every once of strength now gone from his body, and passes out.

He's put in the hospital where Ava (I think) and Teresa stay with him all night. He gets to go home later that day to find;** Entering the living room Bradin was surprised to find Jay, Susannah, Johnny, Erica, Cameron Nikki, Derrick, Teresa's mother, sister and aunt all sitting in the living room, smiles engulfing their faces as soon as the front door opened. "Bradin!!" the exclamation came from everyone's mouth at once.**

**Ava slipped past Bradin and Teresa put her arms around his neck from the back and leaned up to whisper in his ear, "We **_**all**_** love you, Bradin... everybody was deathly worried about you.. have been for quite a while now but especially today and last night... We all love you and could never bare to lose you and we hate to see you hurting... so, everybody came here today to wait for news. This is the best they could've gotten! You coming home!" **(_oh, btw, the group on Hollinger's Point was Ava, Johnny, Jay, Susannah, Nikki and Teresa. They had followed the road Jerry had taken till they saw his car parked on the side of the road. Then they followed the trail up to Hollinger's Point figuring that's where Jerry was and, presumably, Bradin too. Wow this is getting long... but oh well, I'll finish it haha)_

Bradin and Teresa almost make love but, again, Teresa asks not to. Bradin respects that but Teresa's afraid he's upset with her for teasing him twice now.

A month passes and Bradin's somewhat haunted by Jerry's suicide. He talks to Teresa about it and she makes him feel better.

Bradin and Teresa both worry the other doesn't love them and they go to Jay separately and he tells them to talk to each other laughing to himself because they both came to him. They work it out.

**December 16:** Christmas time rolls around and Teresa's mother gives her a car for Christmas. Early. She and Bradin go to Raines, CA to visit one of Teresa's friends and because she wants to see the sunset there which is said to be spectacular. And the final paragraphs were:

"_Reese..." Bradin suddenly looked nervous, "I um.. well, that is..." Taking a deep breath he took Teresa's hands into his and pulled her to her feet, then, looking deeply into her eyes, said, "Teresa, I love you. I love you more than anything or anyone else on this earth. I... I want to be with you until I draw my final breath, and when I do, I want to be in your arms. And, baby, after that, I want to be there... waiting for you. I love you so much... I don't even know how to tell you how much I love you... And I don't think you'd believe me if I tried to, that's why I need to show you. And to show you I'll need a lifetime and then some..." _

_Teresa had been listening to him, patiently, soaking in every word, she wanted him to finish so she could tell him how much she loved him but she didn't want him to ever stop because she loved hearing how much he loved her... she kept listening. _

"_So..." Bradin got down on one knee. Looking up at Teresa, who gasped and put a hand over her mouth, he said, "I want you to spend the rest of your life with me..." he put his hand into his pocket and pulled out a small, dark blue box. Opening it to reveal a beautiful slender, silver band with a small, but shimmering and beautiful, diamond on top. "I want to spend the rest of my life with you..." With a smile across his face he spoke softly, "What I'm trying to say is: Teresa Coleman, will you marry me?"_

_Tears streamed from Teresa's eyes and she struggled to speak without choking, but failed, as she replied, "Y- yes... God, Bradin Westerly! I love you so," she laughed through her tears of joy and emphasized the word "freakin'" as she continued, "freakin' much!!" continuing to speak was useless as tears now covered her face and she was shaking from being so happy. Bradin's face was pure joy as he slipped the ring onto his fiancée's finger and stood up. Taking her laughing, crying, shaking body into his arms, he pulled her to his chest and kissed her forehead, "I love you." He whispered softly. She whispered it back and buried her head into his strong body, letting him hold her as the sun sank low below the western horizon, casting romantic rays into the darkening sky. Bradin sighed... He was finally content. Everything was perfect... She was perfect... they were perfect... this was perfect... Life was- was it? Yeah... life was perfect._

_The end..._

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Okay, God, that was long!! And annoying as hell hahaha But anything for my loyal readers! Anywho, I have just summarized 33 Chapters as best as I can and I hope it was good enough! But not over the top! Haha I don't summarize very well _at all_ for the record. At least I don't think I do. Anyway, I'd still suggest reading the story to those who haven't but hopefully this is a good enough "refresher" for everybody.

Love to all my readers! Ch 3 up soon... (if you wanna leave a review on this please feel free to do that!! Like, if you have any questions or just wanna say something or something didn't make sense or just **WHATEVER **it may be! Haha I'd like it if you reviewed, actually!)

_Anna Christie_


	4. 3: My Angel

**I do not own Summerland.**

Thank you to **ShiaLover **(YOU'RE WELCOME!! And yes, Jerry's dead, thank God!) and **Ash Riley **(thank you! If you want to read my first story, please do, I'd love for you to!) for leaving me a comment on my summary and for appreciating the work I put into it! I'm so glad it cleared things up for y'all!

**Ash Riley**, thank you... I think! lol Dude, you like it cause it makes you sad? haha _"You're off to a great start!"_ Thanks so much!! I'm so glad you like this story, I hope you like this ch!!

**SoMuch4MyHappyEndin**, THANK YOU FOR FORGIVING ME!! Awe, thanks, girl! I loved writing the Bradin/Nikki part too! LOL what you said about Brae/Reese and three kids made me laugh out loud! (btw, I'm not saying that _won't_ happen, nor am I saying it _will_ happen. I'm just saying how it made me laugh the way you said it lol) Thanks for brightening my day with your wonderful reviews! As for what you said, even if you _were_ joking, if you kill me how can I continue to write these amazing stories that you're so addicted to!? smiles patiently to aggrevate you lol I'm jk, I hope you love this chapter!!  
**  
ShiaLover09**, you're very welcome! You totally deserved the shout-out! And I'm glad you got a lot of reviews (whether I had anything to do with it or not lol) And hearing you say "awesome" about it is AWESOME! It's for you guys that I write and fbecause of words of encouragement like that! Thank you so much! (a sap, 'ey? lol I'm not sure I knew that but I can imagine! goes off to plot all kinds of ways to make you cry over my stories I seem to have a knack for tearing people up/making them cry when they read my stuff! I'm guessing that's a good thing, no? lol Hope you love this ch!!

**Okie dokie, here's the next chapter, another double size one at that lol! Hope you enjoy!****Chapter III**

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**_My Angel_**

Bradin opened the door and welcomed Teresa, her aunt, mother and baby sister into the Gregory home. "Come in, you guys! Dinner's almost ready... I think." He laughed.

"Thank you, Bradin." Karen said, coming into the living room. "Here, dear." She handed Teresa Lillian, "I'm sure we can help your aunt with something, Bradin." She added as she and her sister went into the kitchen.

"Did I say hey?" Bradin asked, coming closer to Teresa who just smiled.

"Hmm... I must've missed it..." she closed her eyes as Bradin kissed her gently on the lips. He pulled away quickly, knowing that Jay and Nikki were in the room and doubting they'd wanna watch him and his girlfriend kiss.

"Ahh!!" Nikki squealed. "Give me your sister, Teresa!! Now!" she exclaimed.

Teresa laughed. "Here! We'll pick her up next weekend!" she laughed again.

"Uh!" Nikki pretended to be disgusted that Teresa was suggesting Lillian could be a handful. She took the young child and set her on the couch next to herself and Jay, "Aren't you adorable!?" she said, sweetly, making the baby giggle.

"Now, about that, 'saying hey' business, Bradin..." Teresa put her arms around Bradin's neck and he put his around her waist.

"You'd rather dance, right?" Bradin gave a look that told Teresa he'd rather kiss her.

"Right." Teresa teased him, "Will you?"

"Certainly." Bradin pulled her to the middle of the room, where everything had been cleared away for the purpose of dancing, which was Nikki's idea. Everyone had thought it would be fun so they did it.

Nikki giggled and looked at Jay who rolled his eyes and sighed, "Ah..."

"Oh, you're just upset that Erica couldn't make it tonight!" Nikki insisted.

"Uh huh... right." Jay said, smart alecky.

"You are..." Nikki sang. There was a knock at the door and a second later Cameron was standing in the living room, giving Nikki a hug.

"Hey... dancing without me?"

"Not a chance!" Nikki laughed, "Come on!" she pulled Cameron onto the "dance floor" where Bradin and Teresa were moving to the music of Celine Dion's _Christmas Eve_.

After the song went off the two couples sat down and talked happily about everything from what was under the tree to what teachers they all had at their high school.

"Dude, I'm telling you! When you, if you do, get Mr. Amsterdam, you are going to learn how to cuss in 13 different languages!" Bradin said to Cameron.

"Are you serious? I mean, I thought it was 'against regulations' for the teachers to cuss and or teach their students 'colorful language' as it says in the stupid rule book..." Cameron made air quotes around certain words.

"Everything teachers do is 'against regulations.'" Teresa laughed.

"She's right..." Bradin said, "And, yes, I'm serious. I can say something I shouldn't say with my aunt's roommate present in French, German and Chinese. And my friend, Roger, well, let's just say his favorite thing to do is cuss out our English teacher in a new language every week!" he laughed, "Not that she can understand a word he's saying..."

"Chinese?" Cameron raised an eyebrow, "Where'd this guy learn it!?"

"Learn what? Chinese?" Bradin asked, confused.

"No, all the languages?"

"I don't know. All I know is that he can speak fluent cursing in 13 different languages, counting English. And he can speak fluent everything in 9. He's really amazing to be around..." Bradin said, "You'll like him if you get him, he's really actually cool. And he gets away with every bit of it, it's hilarious!"

"Wow... okay, so how'd you get him?"

"I take French. He teaches French, German, Spanish, Chinese, Greek, Italian and Russian. Even though he speaks 9, he only teaches 7, not counting, of course, the cussing." Bradin laughed. "He's a cool teacher though, really."

"So, what can you say in French?" Cameron asked.

Teresa and Nikki looked at him, "Yeah, say something!" they begged.

"Something nice or something not nice!" he smirked.

"How would you introduce yourself to someone in French?" Nikki asked.

"Bonjour, je m'appelle, Bradin Westerly."

"Cool! Say something else!"

Bradin chuckled, "It's not that cool, Nik..."

"Yes, it is! Now say something else!" she insisted.

"Fine, Excusez-moi... Auriez-vous l'heure s'il vous plait?"

"What'd you say??"

"Basically I asked you what time it is."

"Cool... go on..." Nikki wasn't letting up.

Bradin rolled his eyes. "Joyeux Noël!"

"Huh?"

"Merry Christmas." Bradin translated.

"Cool, something else."

"Il fait froid." Bradin said.

"And that means??"

"It's cold." Bradin said, simply. Standing, he added, "Now, enough of this, I wanna dance! Teresa?"

"Let's!" Teresa jumped up followed by Cameron and Nikki.

They all danced to Nsync's _I Don't Wanna Spend One More Christmas Without You_ until Derrick came down stairs and asked Bradin if he would come outside for a minute.

"Sure, buddy." He followed his little brother out of the house and sat down on the front step with him, "What's up?"

"Brae... how do you pick a present for a girl? I mean, I wanna get Martha something but I don't know what... I want it to be really special though, cause she's really special and I really like her... you know?" Derrick said, shyly.

Bradin smiled, "Yeah, I know. She is really special so... I'd ask what she'd like." He suggested.

"Really? But I want it to be a surprise too..."

"Well... ask her what three things she'd like and tell her you're going to pick one. Then she'll still be surprised regardless..." Bradin said.

"Okay!" Derrick seemed happy with this answer. "Um... can I ask you something else?"

"Sure, anything." Bradin said.

"How do you tell if you just like a girl or... if you love her?" Derrick finished quickly, somewhat embarrassed.

Bradin thought for a minute. "Well, D... you just... well, you just know. You'll know it when you find the girl you _love_."

"Really? Cause I think I might, maybe, love Martha... Do you think so?" Derrick looked up at his brother with eyes that said he was hopeful Bradin would know for sure.

"Well... like I said, _you'll_ **know** it, Derrick... you really will. You might love Martha.. but you might need time to really realize it. To really _know_ it. Does that make sense?" Bradin hoped it did... he didn't know how else to put it.

"Yeah... thanks, Brae." Derrick hugged his older brother.

"Anytime, buddy." He hugged him back, "Now let's get back in that house... it's actually cold out here for a change!"

Derrick agreed and they headed back indoors to find that the family was all in the kitchen making plates full of turkey, dressing, green bean casserole, sweet roles, and lots of other odds and ends to make the meal huge!

"There you two are! Wash up and let's eat!" Ava exclaimed upon seeing the boys.

Bradin and Derrick grinned "Yes, Ma'am." They said, then laughed.

The meal was lively and everyone talked happily of this and that and, when they were through, they put away all the leftovers in some containers Ava didn't need anymore because Ava was having Bradin and Teresa take them down to a church where they were having a Christmas dinner for the homeless. She was also having them take two turkeys, still frozen, and a store bought dressing. It was about six in the evening when they finished eating and then they danced! Everyone being silly and laughing and switching up partners till they were so mixed up it was silly. Bradin dancing with Susannah, who couldn't stop laughing because Nikki had once suggested she go out with Bradin, jokingly, and so the dancing together reminded her and Nikki and they couldn't stop laughing. Erica, who had managed to make it after all, was dancing with Derrick, Ava with Karen's sister, Rachel, Karen with Johnny and Jay with Teresa. The only couple still right was Nikki and Cameron.

In the midst of the chaos there was a knock at the door. Susannah, still laughing some, went to answer it. On the doorstep stood an older woman, in her mid to late 70s, Susannah estimated. She was wearing a green sweater over a white shirt and an ankle length seasonally decorated patchwork skirt. Her hair was white but still beautiful and she was wearing sunglasses and carrying a medium sized suitcase. There was another suitcase, this one much bigger, on the doorstep beside her.

"Um... can I help you?" Susannah asked, unsure of who or what the stranger wanted.

"Yes, I'm looking for-" she stopped short and looked behind the younger woman.

Susannah turned around to find Bradin standing there with a look of shock on his face and his mouth open as though he were about to speak but forgot what he was going to say or even how to talk for that matter.

"Well, boy! Don't just stand there with your mouth hanging open! Come here!!" the woman exclaimed, holding her arms open.

Susannah was even more puzzled.

"Gram Ma!!" Bradin exclaimed happily, running into the woman's arms and giving her a bear hug. "God, why didn't you tell someone you were coming! We would've picked you up!" he said, pulling away and taking the suitcase she wasn't holding and leading her into the house, leaving Susannah to shut the door, still puzzled. She figured this must be the kids' only living great grandparent, Pearl.

"Don't be silly, I wanted to surprise you! How could I do that if you came to pick me up!?" the woman wanted to know.

"We would have been surprised you were coming!" Bradin said.

Pearl took off her sunglasses as she said, "Oh, that's not the same- Nikki, Derrick!" they had reached the living room and the two younger Westerly's looked just as astonished but quickly recovered and, like Bradin rushed and gave her a hug exclaiming together, "Grammy!!"

"Gram Ma?" Ava was shocked, "When did you get here! Why didn't you tell someone? We could have-"

"Now, look here! Bradin's already given me that and I told him, and I'll tell you, I wanted to surprise you!" The woman said, almost sounding angry, but she wasn't.

"Oh, Gram! You never do change, come here!!" Ava laughed and gave the woman a big hug. "I've missed you!!"

"Well, why haven't you come to see me if you've missed me?" the lady asked, putting a hand on her hip.

Ava laughed, "I should. I really should. But getting to New York for a while is hard to do..."

"You mean do to being busy I assume, because I know it's not hard to _get_ there, what with these planes!"

"Oh, Gram!" Ava laughed some more.

"Now, who are all these lovely people?" the woman looked around the room at the puzzled faces with a smile.

"Well," Ava began, "That's Jay Robertson, my housemate, and his girlfriend Erica Spalding." She indicated Jay and Erica. "And that's Susannah, my friend, housemate and business partner. That's Johnny, my boyfriend and housemate and these, of course, you know, are the kids!" Ava laughed.

"Hello," the woman nodded to everyone and smiled, "And these?" she indicated Rachel and Karen.

"Oh, right," Ava laughed at having forgotten to introduce them. "This is Karen Coleman, her daughters, Lillian and Teresa, Bradin's girlfriend, and her sister Rachel Steller."

Ava's grandmother smiled and nodded, "And the young man is Nikki's boyfriend, right?"

"Yes, Cameron Bale." Ava smiled, "And, everyone, this is my grandmother, the kids' great grandmother, Pearl Stevens."

Everyone said friendly hellos and smiled.

"Won't you sit down, Pearl?" Susannah asked, "And can I get you something? We just finished eating but they're are plenty of leftovers!"

"Why, thank you. You wouldn't happen to have any hot chocolate, would you?" Pearl asked.

"We would. Would you like a cup?" Susannah smiled.

"Yes, please. And thank you for offering food, I'm afraid I'm not very hungry right now though. Later?"

"Later's fine! Just whenever you get hungry!" Susannah smiled and left the room to get the elderly woman her drink.

"Now, I want to talk to you three!" Pearl said, "But," she added, "I get the feeling I've interrupted some great fun!"

"We were dancing!" Derrick exclaimed.

"Well! Then dance! I adore watching people dance!"

"Do you really, Gram?" Nikki asked her great grandmother, "I mean-"

"Yes, I do!" Pearl smiled, "Go on and dance! I wanna get to know this young lady anyway!" She picked up Lillian from where the one year old sat on the couch, giggling. "Hey there!" she cooed making Lillian giggle even more.

Everyone smiled, "Well, then, let's dance!" Ava exclaimed, laughing.

The groups, again, became mixed up and everyone laughed and joked for the next half hour while they danced. Finally, the adults all sat down, laughing and out of breath from dancing to Maraih Carey's _All I Want For Christmas_. Bradin, Nikki, Teresa and Cameron danced to the next song while Derrick went upstairs to use the bathroom.

"God, Brae! You are so wrong!" Teresa laughed in spite of trying to sound very disapproving of something Bradin had just whispered into her ear.

Bradin just smiled which made Teresa blush and laugh some more. "Shut up!" she laughed.

"I didn't say anything." Bradin smirked.

Teresa had to stop dancing for laughing so hard. Bradin stood by her and chuckled, "I told you, you are extremely easy to make laugh, didn't I? And you denied it, well, look at you now." Teresa just laughed harder while trying to say, "Stop!"

"Brae, are you trying to choke your girlfriend or something!?" Nikki laughed going over to Teresa and patting her on the back.

"No, I wasn't..." Bradin rolled his eyes, "but it looks like I am anyway, huh? God, Reese..." he was laughing too though.

Finally, Teresa stopped laughing only to find that several people were staring at her with amused looks on their faces to which she replied, "You really don't wanna know." She giggled.

"Right," Bradin winked at her. She slapped him on the arm and headed to the kitchen all smiles.

"What in the world did you say!?" Nikki wanted to know.

"I just said-" he stopped short, "Oops... she's supposed to tell you that..."

"Tell me what?"

"Well, I can't tell you if she's supposed to can I?" Bradin laughed and Nikki flushed, embarrassed, "Right..." she mumbled.

"Anyway..." Cameron dragged out the word, "When do you wanna open my present, Nik? Remember, I won't be here Christmas day..."

"Right... um... well, I _could_ open it now if you want..." Nikki said.

Pearl motioned for Bradin to come and sit beside her.

"Yeah?" he asked, once he had sat down.

"I just wanted to see my baby boy after all this time... do you know you were about 5 the last time I saw you in person?" Bradin's great grandmother said, giving the 16 year old a hug with one arm.

He leaned onto her shoulder and smiled, "I know..."

"Well... what's this business about something you wrote for Teresa that you mentioned the last time I talked to you?"

Bradin pulled away from her, "Oh... um..."

"Well, don't be shy!" Pearl whispered as Teresa came back into the room, "If you wrote her something why don't you go ahead and sing it for her?"

"Gram... I... I mean, I'm not exactly..."

"You mean you're shy."

"Yes, shy. Must you be so blunt?" Bradin laughed.

"Well, how else should I be? You know I don't believe in beating around the bush, Bradin!" Pearl said with a straight face, but she was being funny.

"I know... well, about the song... I don't know... I mean, I kinda just wanted it to be me and her-"

"Bradin, you won't know anyone else is here. Neither will she. I can tell... like with that laughing fit a minute ago!" Pearl winked making Bradin laugh.

"Why do care so much?"

"I want to hear you sing! And I want to hear your song."

"Well... alright... but remember, I only wrote the words, Cam did the music." Bradin said, still keeping his voice low so Teresa didn't hear them.

"I'll remember. But, to me, it's the words that make a song anyway, honey." Pearl smiled, "Now go on!"

"Alright." Bradin took a deep breath and got up. He went over to Teresa and whispered something to which she nodded and put her hand in her pocket then pulled it back out a second later, keeping it behind her back.. The two of them turned and faced the room. Bradin cleared his throat to get everyone's attention then smiled, "Guys... we have something to tell you." He turned it over to Teresa.

She held up her left hand on which she had put her ring back on when Bradin whispered to her, "We're getting married!!" she exclaimed, her face beaming.

Karen put a hand to her mouth. So it _was_ true. Ava and Johnny smiled and looked at each other. The rest of the room, save Nikki, who just stood where she was and smiled bigger than she ever had, burst into exclamations.

"Wow!" Derrick shouted.

"When did this happen!?" Jay half yelled, happily.

"Whoa, Kansas!" Erica laughed, a little shocked but also like, she just knew he'd ask her soon...

"Oh my gosh, you two!!" Susannah exclaimed.

"When's the wedding?" Rachel wanted to know.

"Gah!" Lillian giggled. Though she had no clue what was going, she was happy because everyone else was happy.

"Congratulations!!" Cameron pitched in, smiling widely. Teresa and Bradin certainly were in love if the looks on their faces were anything to go by!

Pearl didn't say anything. Instead, she stood up, came over to Teresa and Bradin and gave them each a kiss on the cheek saying, "Oh, Bradin! Ella sus ángel."

Bradin raised an eyebrow, "How can you tell? I mean, yes, she is, but how could you tell just like that?"

"She radiates it!" Pearl winked at her great grandson making him shake his head and smile, "Gram, you know everything, you know that?"

"Of course I know that! I know everything, remember!" The elderly woman smiled wickedly.

Teresa giggled, "I just love you!" she laughed.

"You just met me, dear!" Pearl laughed.

"I know, but I can tell!" she winked this time.

"Ah!" Pearl smiled, "Of course."

"What did you say I was?" Teresa looked puzzled. "That I was an angel?" she guessed.

"Oh, something about like that..." Pearl smiled and sat back down leaving Teresa with a confused look on her face. Bradin laughed at it then told her to go on and answer the questions that had been asked. Shaking her head that neither of them would tell her she turned back to the room, "We haven't picked a date yet, Aunt Rach. It happened when we went to Raines yesterday, Jay, and thank you to Cameron who was the only one to say 'congratulations!'" she laughed.

Everyone laughed at themselves and exclaimed together, "Congratulations!!"

"Thank you!" Bradin and Teresa said.

Bradin stepped away from Teresa and whispered something to Cameron. He nodded and went upstairs to Bradin's room.

"Okay, um..." he turned to Teresa, "Before you go home... I wanna do something for you so if you'll just sit down somewhere..." He smiled.

Teresa looked surprised but sat down next to Pearl who had motioned for her to sit by her.

Cameron returned, this time holding a guitar.

"Ahem..." Bradin cleared his throat and looked over the room which had now become nearly silent. "I uh... well..." he looked directly at Teresa, blocking out everyone one else from his eyes. "Teresa, this is something I wrote for you and I really hope you like it. Cameron did most of the music part so give him credit." He turned to Cameron and nodded. Cameron smiled his thanks then started strumming out a soft, melodic, not fast, not slow, tune.

Bradin sat down on one of the two barstools that had been brought into the living room to seat all the company. Cameron occupied the other, one knee up higher then the other to hold the guitar as he played. After a few seconds Bradin looked at Teresa and started to sing.

_Staring out at the rain,  
__With a heavy heart,  
__It's the end of the world,  
__In my mind.  
__Then your voice pulls me back,  
__Like a wake-up call.  
__  
I've been looking for the answer somewhere.  
__I couldn't see that it was right there,  
__But now I know what I didn't know._

_Because you live and breathe,  
__Because you make me believe in myself,  
__When nobody else can help,  
__Because you live, girl,  
__My world has twice as many stars in the sky._

_It's alright, I survived, I'm alive again,  
__Cause of you made it through every storm.  
__What is life, what's the use if you're killing time?  
__I'm so glad I found an angel,  
__Someone who was there when all my hopes fell,  
__I wanna fly looking in your eyes._

_Because you live and breathe,  
__Because you make me believe in myself,  
__When nobody else can help,  
__Because you live, girl,  
__My world has twice as many stars in the sky._

_Because you live there's a reason why,  
__I carry on when I lose the fight.  
__I want to give what you've given me always..._

_Because you live and breathe,  
__Because you make me believe in myself,  
__When nobody else can help,  
__Because you live, girl,  
__My world has twice as many stars in the sky._

_Because you live and breathe,  
__Because you make me believe in myself,  
__When nobody else can help,  
__Because you live, girl,  
__My world has everything I need to survive...  
__Because you live...  
__I live...  
__I live..._

Bradin's voice trailed off and Cameron played an ending chord. The room was silent for a minute and Bradin and Cameron looked at each other with a look that said, "Was it that bad?" But Cameron smiled suddenly and Bradin found himself wrapped tightly in the arms of his girlfriend as she kissed him on the cheek and whispered into his ear, her voice full of emotion, "Bradin Westerly... God, I love you so much!!"

Bradin smiled and hugged her back, recovering from his surprise at her jumping on him. "I love you too, babe..."

Suddenly everyone else in the room was talking at once.

"Wow, you guys! That was amazing!" Susannah exclaimed.

"You guys are good!" Ava said, her face a mixture of happy shock and emotion from the words.

"Damn..." Jay whistled lowly.

"Whoa, Kansas..." Erica felt like she was repeating herself from only half an hour earlier- oh, wait, she was.

"That was sooooo sweet!!" Nikki exclaimed and ran up to her brother, and hugged him despite Teresa still clinging to him. Then she let go and hurried over to Cameron, hugging him she exclaimed, "Did you really write that tune!!"

"Yeah... mostly," Cameron smiled, "Did you like it?"

"I loved it!" Nikki burst out, "Ohh! I want you to write more, Cam!"

While they talked the rest of the room still talked excitedly.

Teresa's mother and her sister both smiled widely and said, "You guys, that was absolutely wonderful! And so sweet!"

Johnny gave Bradin a look that said, "Good job! I'm proud of you." Then he turned to Cameron and gave him a similar look.

"Oh, boys..." Pearl dabbed her eyes with a tissue and smiled happily.

"Cool! You sing!" Derrick exclaimed suddenly, making everyone laugh.

* * *

Mkay, there's your chapter everyone! But before you review, which I KNOW you will, _riiiighhtt_?? Haha Anyway, before you review I have a few things to say:

First, I realized something when I was reading through this story. There are two Amber's... haha Amber Farine is Bradin and, mostly, Teresa's friend and then there's Nikki's friend Amber who's last name I'm not aware of. Anybody know it? Anyway, I just wanted to point out that they're two different people that's all. Hope there was no confusion or anything... I'm not even sure if they were in this/the previous chapters or not but just in case! lol

Second, In this chapter when Pearl said; "Oh, Bradin! Ella sus ángel." she was saying; "Oh, Bradin! She is your angel." And I'm sorry if that wasn't exactly correct, I just sorta translated it and don't know if it's in the right order or whatever... sorry lol! Please correct me if I was wrong about that line or any of the French stuff and I'll fix it, thanks!!

And thrid and lastly, The song in this chapter is Jesse McCartney's Because You Live JUST in case you didn't know that lol I had written a song myself for the chapter called My Angel but then I thought it didn't quite work... and the lyrics to Because You Live kept coming back to me over and over and _over_ cause they fit Bradin and Teresa's story PERFECTLY from Bradin's point of view. So I went with that. Now that I've talked you half to death, haha, please review!! Luv to all my readers!

_Anna Christie_


	5. 4: Ah, Those Summer Nights

**I do not own Summerland**.

Hey, guys, I gotta hurry! Today's my lil' bro's birthday and I wanna do somethin' special for him if I can so yeah... haha Anyway, This updates's for **BJ**!! Happy Birthday, girl!! (yes, it's her birthday too! :D )

**sexiilexii3**, thank you so much for reading my story!! And for loving it, even better! big smile I'm so glad that you're reading and enjoying and... reviewing to let me know! Teehee Wow, that's awesome that I could make the characters be that real to you even though you haven't been following their story! Ah, ah, ah, now! I never actually _said_ I _was_ breaking them up! I simply asked BJ "But what if there was something that could tear them apart?" Means nothing. Not yes, not no. You shall have to keep reading to find out what happens either way!! Hope you like this chapter!

**ShiaLover09**, hey, girl! Haha doubt? Oh, I don't know... NO?! Haha I'm so happy to have you say that! I know you love my stuff but hearing it is just awesome!! (I HAVE GOT to read your updates! I'm so sorry, been wild this week though, man! But I'll get on it s.o.o.n! Cause I can't wait to see what's up with Ash and Brae!) Anywho, yes, classic Jesse song! I went and got the video yesterday and it was just sooooooooo bittersweet cause it reminded me of old times back when me and my BFF were OBSESSED with him haha, but anyway, glad you liked it! That, for the record, is my favorite song of his. ) Case you ever wanna know haha Nikki's friend had no last name, got it. Haha thanks Hope you like the update!

**angel-prncess-18**, hello again! Glad you're not complaining cause there seem to be a lot of long chapters in this story! Lol Usually I have trouble making them long but er... not lately! Glad the summary helped and glad you had your Q answered before you could even ask it! Lol Hope you like this chapter!

**Ash Riley**, haha I sent you a review reply so I'm just gonna say thank you and enjoy this chapter! Oh, PS, I got your PM and I'll reply to that asap! Sorry I haven't already, just been crazy over here!

**Iloveparamore**, thank you so much for reading and reviewing! It means a lot and keeps me writing! I hope you like this chapter!

**BJ**, HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! How young? wink Now, about your wonderful review! Thank you sosososososo much! Haha I'm really, really glad you like the way I do my character interaction! I always worry it's not right, lol, guess I can put those fears to rest? And yeah, the ending making y'all laugh was deff what I was going for! Glad it worked! Haha Yes, hell... well... as I told Lexi up there, I never SAID that... you did. - poker face haha you can't tell what I'm thinking!! You can't tell what I'm thinking!! COUGH - ANYway, you'll just have to read to find out!! But I know you will, haha cause you're ADDICTED!! - evil music oh, wait... that's not a bad thing is it? ahem - I'm so glad you liked the Brae/Derrick thing! I always totally thought there should be more of that and so ta da! I add it in! Lol And don't worry, majorly huge brother-to-brother moment coming up in ch... 8 I think? Well somewhere, haha, so yeah, you should like that! :D And now... for your birthday present... **CHAPTER 4**!! I hope you love it!

Oh, for the record, I don't know if Johnny really had a sister in the show or not, but he does here lol Hope that's okay. And could someone give me his last name? Is it Durant? I've forgotten and it's getting on my nerves lol Thans so much in advance!! And Susannah's is...? Sorry, I always have trouble with her and Johnny's last names... - blushes - thanks, y'all!

* * *

**Chapter IV**

_**Ah, Those Summer Nights**_

"So, Brae... when do you wanna get married?" Teresa asked her finance, her eyes closed, breathing in the sea air and her body leaning against the railing of the pier the two teens were standing on.

"I don't know... I mean, soon as we can but I don't know when that'll be, you know?" Bradin replied, tossing a rock out into the ocean water.

"Yeah, I know... I just mean, I know we're gonna finish school and all first but I was wondering when after that did you kinda, you know, have in mind?" Teresa opened her eyes and turned around, now facing the ocean like Bradin was.

Bradin shrugged, "Whenever the money's there, I guess..." he said, looking over at her.

"Yeah..." Teresa sighed, "Money, money, money. Money sucks!" she laughed.

Bradin smiled, laughing slightly. "Yeah, it does..." He put an arm around her shoulders and pulled her close as the two of them watched the sunset. "But don't worry, babe, we're gonna be together. We'll always be together."

Teresa smiled and sighed, this time contentedly. Bradin was so perfect. How did _she_ get him anyway!?

It was May the 12th and school would be letting out for the summer in 10 days. Everybody was excited for it and Teresa couldn't wait to see what all would happen this summer. Summer was always a time for fun and craziness and just hanging out and she couldn't wait to see how a summer with Bradin was going to be.

"Well we should probably get home and study if we're gonna know _anything_ on that test tomorrow..." Bradin said, obviously not really wanting to. If they could just stay in each other's arms forever... Just like this, her holding onto him and him holding onto her... watching the sunset.

Teresa agreed mutely and the two of them headed back towards their houses, holding hands and talking of summer plans.

--

The first day of summer, well not quite summer, but summer break, began like any other. Kids everywhere. Lots of noise. Partying. Pure insanity. About a week passed before Bradin and Teresa had fallen into a steady rhythm of hanging out every night till 2 in the morning, or later, and coming home still hyper. Ava was away with Susannah on a business trip for their clothing line and probably would be for at least two months. This time they were really gonna hit it big, they were sure. And for some reason everybody else felt like they were too. Ava had been a little uneasy about leaving the kids but everybody talked her into it saying this was her big chance and not to miss it! And besides, Jay was still gonna be there. Johnny had been going to stay and help keep a tab on all the kids but his sister had fallen very ill and he had gone to San Francisco to take care of her two children while she was in the hospital. So that left Jay, and though he had assured Ava he'd take care of the kids, it might as well have left no one. It's not that Jay wasn't responsible. It's just that he didn't have the time to keep constant tabs on three kids. Johnny had thought so too and so, when Martha's family invited Derrick to go on a two week camping trip with them, Ava had agreed. After that Derrick was visiting the kids' aunt and uncle back in Kansas for another two weeks, then he'd be back. Another thing about leaving Jay alone, or anyone alone, in charge was that it was far less likely to be caught sneaking out by one person then it was by four so Bradin and Nikki were constantly sneaking out and not getting caught because they were always back before Jay got up. And as for Teresa, her aunt was gone for the summer and her mother had become so distant that she rarely ever knew whether Teresa was even home or not! And she didn't seem to care anyway...

It was June the 6th and Teresa was supposed to be meeting Bradin at their friend Sarah's house where a few of their other friends were gonna be and they were all gonna hang out till late. Teresa had just left her house, telling her mother she was probably staying the night with Amber Farine. Her mother had absentmindedly said, "Okay..." and she had left, rolling her eyes. She could have said she was going to New York and her mother wouldn't have noticed!!

Mad about this the 16-year-old stormed down the beach in the general direction of Sarah Sloan's apartment. Sarah was 18, had her own apartment and was the perfect place to spend the weekend if you wanted to get away with murder.

"Hey, Reese!"

Teresa turned at the sound of her name. "Oh, hey, Joey." She smiled. Joey Marvin was a friend of Bradin's and Teresa's. She met him through Bradin and the two had talked several times since then.

"Where you headin' lookin' so mad?" Joey wanted to know.

"I don't know... nowhere really." Teresa lied. She did know and it wasn't nowhere. It was to meet her boyfriend- _fiancé_!

"Then you should come chill with me..."

Teresa didn't know why she agreed but she did, "Okay, cool!"

Joey smiled, and put his arm around Teresa's in a friendly manner making her laugh. "So, what's been up with you?" Teresa asked.

"Nothin', partyin', nothin'..." Joey laughed.

Teresa nodded, "Yeah, tell me about it..."

"Yep..." Joey agreed.

Joey lived in his own little apartment so that's where they headed. Warning bells went off in Teresa's head when they arrived and she realized nobody else was there, but she ignored them.

"So, you wanna get your ass kicked at Guitar Hero?" Joey asked with a laugh.

"No, I wanna kick yours!" Teresa laughed back and the two raced to Joey's TV to hook up the game.

Three hours passed and Teresa almost completely forgot she was supposed to have met Bradin an hour ago.

"Wow, okay, you're better at this then I thought!" Joey laughed and threw up his hands pretending to surrender to Teresa's superior guitar playing abilities.

"Thanks!" Teresa tossed her hair over her shoulder and flopped down on Joey's couch, fully aware that he was looking at her. "So..."

Coming out of his reverie Joey shook his head and smiled, "You hungry?"

"Nah-uh..." Teresa suddenly felt embarrassed.

Joey smiled slightly and sat down on the couch beside Teresa, their legs almost touching. "You okay?" he asked.

"Yeah... I was supposed to meet Bradin at 8..."

"So what?"

"So what? So I should have been there over an hour ago and he's probably gonna be pissed..." Teresa tried her best to make it sound like a big deal and not be so nonchalant like Joey had been when he asked so what.

"But you had more fun here, didn't you?"

Teresa went to contradict but found that Joey was right. She let out an involuntary little gasp instead when she realized this. Joey chuckled and flipped on MTV.

"Ah, Pimp My Ride needs to pimp _my_ ride, man..." Joey said seriously.

"But you don't have a ride!" Teresa exclaimed, laughing.

"Exactly, baby." Joey also laughed then stopped, looking into Teresa's eyes. He moved closer to her and put one hand on her face.

Something shot through Teresa but she wasn't sure what. "Go home! Get the heck out of here!!" Perhaps? No, that wasn't... it. Teresa let her eyes fall shut as Joey's lips gently met hers. Feeling his soft lips on hers made her realize it wasn't a warning that shot through her, it was lust. She wanted Joey. "Mmm.." she moaned into the kiss as Joey deepened it pushing her onto her back and getting slightly on top of her. After a minute Joey pulled away and murmured, "Let's get off the couch." Teresa nodded and let Joey lead her by the hand into his room, kissing her neck the whole time. Teresa's mind focused on nothing else and she didn't even seem to notice that Joey was removing her shirt. She was completely lost in the lust of the moment. She also completely forgot she was engaged... for a minute.

Joey's hands moved to Teresa's waist and it wasn't until he unbuttoned her shorts that she jerked at least two feet away, the realization of what she was about to let Joey do hitting her like a slap in the face.

"Oh my God, Bradin, Joey, Bradin! I can't do this with you, I have Bradin, oh, my God..." Teresa snatched her shirt off the floor and pulled it back over her head then buttoned her shorts.

Joey jumped off the bed where the two had been sitting and came over to Teresa, grabbing her hands, "Teresa, wait..."

Teresa could barely look at him, "What?" she mumbled, pulling her hands away and looking down. She noticed she was trembling.

"Look, Bradin's not here. There's no reason he has to _know_ about this... Besides, there are a lot of freaks out by now... You don't wanna walk home alone. Why don't you just stay here tonight?"

"Are you asking me to sleep with you?" Teresa said, dignity rising in her voice.

"No..." Joey said slowly, "I mean, not sex, just sleep here tonight. You know, we can chill till later then just sleep... that's all I meant... I mean, I really like you, you know, as a friend and I don't want what _didn't even happen_ to ruin our friendship..." Joey seemed sincere.

Teresa considered all this for a minute. She didn't have anywhere to go, actually, and she certainly wasn't facing Bradin right now... She didn't wanna go home... Amber wasn't even home... "Okay..." she agreed quietly.

Joey smiled making Teresa smile, "And I am sorry about... that."

"Yeah, me too. So... get your ass kicked at Guitar Hero again?"

"Yeah, right!" Joey exclaimed, laughing, and ran for the living room, Teresa on his heels.

* * *

And there she is! What do you think? Let me know, I can't wait to see your comments/reactions! Love to my readers/reviewers! hearts

PS Sorry so short this time!! Longer next time, love y'all, gotta go! Peace!

_Anna Christie_


	6. 5: Forgive This

**I do not own Summerland.**

**6Ellie6**, 'ello! I'm so glad to have a new reader!! So glad you think the story's awesome!! Yes, Teresa cheated and yes, poor Bradin! Lol Anywho, I hope you like this ch!!

**Somuch4myhappyending**, LOL glad it was great, I mean bad, I mean- oh forget it! I'm so glad you liked it! OMG You like Joey? Haha Well, you should, he's not a bad guy, you'll see. BUT you're not allowed to wish he and Teresa were together cause that would just ruin everything!! O.O haha jk, you can wish whatever you want... or don't want or... gah!! Whatever! Haha but anyway, time will tell what you all think of him cause he's in this story a little bit more so far and may be a lot more later on, I'm not sure yet.

You're welcome!! Was your birthday awesome? Cause if it wasn't I'll kick somebody's butt so it better have been! Haha 15? Awesome!! –smile- So glad you're lovin' the dram, prepare for more!! I THRIVE on it haha and YES, you're addicted, I _knew _it!! Lol anywho, I hope this is "soon" enough for ya!! :D and I hope you love it!

**froggy2045**, OMG you're reading!! I am so excited!! And you love it!! YAY!! haha And if you NEED it then it seems I now have _two_ people who find this story like a drug! LOL wait- is that a good thing?? Lolz Enjoy the chapter!

**Angel-prncess-18**, she did do a naughty thing! –grins- What's Bradin gonna say? Is he gonna find out?? Huh!? HUH?? Oh dear, wait- _I'm _the writer...-ahem, cough, cough- lol hope you like this chapter!! Btw, you know if Bradin finds out or not in this chapter. Just so ya know. So glad you love the whole thing, enjoy!

**ShiaLover09**, MARY! I swear, I AM reading your story it's just super slow going cause I've been really busy... like, really busy and a lazy ass! haha But anyway, thank you so much for loyally reading and reviewing my story!! Haha Spicy! Nice word choice, hadn't had it used before! TEN POINTS haha anywho, thanks for answering the Q. I thought it was Rexford too but wasn't sure. Danke! Enjoy the update!

**Ash Riley**, yes, it _is_ a sure way to cause conflict! Lol and more then that! Anywho, thank you so much, it means a lot to hear people telling me they love it/it's great/keep writing etc. Like, you have no idea how much it means! Or maybe you do but w/e had to say it lol Hope you like the update!

**StrawberryCheeseCak3**, YOU'RE READING!! Thank you so much for saying I have a gift!! And for saying this story's awesome!! I really hope you like this chapter! I sent you an email about AIM btw.

OKAY, time to READ!! Double length chapter again so I hope y'all like 'em that way! But if you think they're too long let me know, mkay? Enjoy!!

* * *

**Chapter V**

**_Forgive This_**

"Oh. My. God." Teresa whispered into the darkness. She crawled out of Joey's bed and shot through the door on tip toes, not wanting to wake the boy she'd just been sleeping beside. Thank God they didn't do anything more then just that... Well... thank God they didn't do anything more then make out and sleep in the same bed. They had played Guitar Hero some more then watched a movie and in the middle of that Joey had kissed her again. She still couldn't figure out why she had let him... She had kissed him back. They had wound up in Joey's room on the bed again. This time Joey pulled away and mumbled sorry. After that they fell asleep talking.

Teresa ran all the way back to her house. It usually took her 30 minutes, on foot, to get there from Joey's house, but this morning it only took her 15. She didn't want _anyone_ to know she'd been _there_ overnight. Her house was in sight when somebody called out, "Reese!"

Teresa whirled around and threw her right hand to her chest, her heart pounding a hundred miles a minute. "B- Bradin..." she smiled, hoping it didn't look as fake as she knew it was. She was completely out of breath but tried her best to hide it. It seemed to work.

"Hey, baby..." Bradin came up to his girlfriend and put his arms around her waist. "Where were you last night? I thought we were gonna meet at Sarah's..."

"W- we were... I mean, I just got um... sidetracked with some girlfriends and kinda... uh, forgot..." Teresa lied. Well... not _entirely_ but close to it. True, she had gotten sidetracked and forgotten but it was most certainly not with girlfriends.

"Oh... Well, whatever, I guess you need some time with other people anyway, we _have_ been hanging out with Sarah and them a lot lately..."

"Yeah..." Teresa was so relieved he didn't press who she had been with the night before. "So... what about you, what'd you do last night cause you don't look so great..."

"I um... well, Sarah and Jake got stoned and Lindsey, her boyfriend, Joseph, and I kinda... we got drunk." Bradin admitted.

Any other time Teresa would have lectured Bradin and told him to never do that again, but somehow, knowing she had been kissing up on another boy the night before, she couldn't find it in her. Instead she just went silent, showing him that she disapproved but wasn't going to outright say so.

"I'm sorry, babe..." Bradin sounded genuine.

"It's okay... just... be careful and don't do that anymore, okay?" Teresa would always worry about him when he got messed up in any way.

"I will." Bradin tried to sound cheerful but he was obviously sorry he had gotten drunk which made Teresa feel worse because she knew she had done something just as bad, if not worse, last night.

"Um, let's both just forget last night, huh? What do say we go get a smoothie?" Teresa suggested with a smile.

"Sure." Bradin agreed. The two were already walking in that general direction so they just continued walking. "Incidentally though, who'd you get tied up with last night? What'd you guys do?"

Teresa panicked. "Um... Oh, I uh... we- I mean... that is..." she took a deep breath and stopped walking. "Bradin, I- I lied."

Bradin cocked his head to the right. "What do you mean?"

"I mean... I wasn't with any girlfriends last night... I was with Joey Marvin... at his house... we watched a movie and just hung out..." Teresa said, preparing for Bradin to flip out on her.

"Oh..." Bradin was quiet a minute and started walking again, Teresa following by his side. "Why didn't you just tell me that?" he asked, after another minute of silence.

"Well... cause I.. I'm still not telling the whole truth, Bradin... I'm scared you're gonna leave me!"

This time Bradin stopped walking. He turned to Teresa and frowned, "What would give me a reason to do that?"

"Bradin, we... we made out on his couch and then slept in his bed. But I _swear_ to you, that's _all_ we did!!" Teresa tried to make that part stand out, that they did _nothing_ more then that.

Bradin said nothing, pain washed over his face but he hid it by looking down and walking again. "Why?"

Teresa thought for a second... she hadn't actually thought about _why_ she did it... Finally she admitted she didn't know.

Bradin stopped walking. "You don't know?" he cocked his head again, but this time in a mocking manner. "You cheat on me and you don't even know _why_?!"

"Brae... I- I didn't really think of it as... as cheating-"

"Then what _did_ you think of it as?" Bradin interrupted, anger showing through in his voice.

"I- I didn't think... I..." Teresa started to cry. What _did_ she think of it as anyway?

"Well maybe you should get a grip on what cheating is, Babe." Bradin smirked. His "babe" wasn't nice either, he was being extremely spiteful. "Cheating is when you do something you would normally only do with a boyfriend with somebody else _during_ the time you're dating another guy. Got that?"

Teresa kept crying, getting worse by the second.

"Well?" Bradin was hurt. He couldn't believe Teresa would do this to him... they were fucking _engaged_!

"Brae, I-"

"Don't 'Brae' me! Just answer!" Bradin resisted the urge to call her a name that he felt was appropriate but knew he'd regret having said later.

"I... I know that... I _know_ that! I'm sorry-"

"Sorry isn't enough. I thought you loved me!" Bradin half yelled. It was still really early in the morning, but late enough that, even on a Saturday, people were everywhere. He was trying not to cause a scene but it wasn't working too well. Several young people, some of whom the couple knew, were milling around, obviously listening.

"I _do_ love you!" Teresa exclaimed, finally raising her head to meet his gaze. "I do, Bradin... really."

"Then why?" Bradin lowered his voice to a normal tone.

"I told you, I don't know!" this time Teresa yelled, exasperated with herself and with Bradin for not letting it go... not that he should, she had just wished he _would_.

"Well figure it out." Bradin said angrily and turned to walk away.

"Wait! Brae..." Teresa hadn't expected him to leave.

Bradin turned back around, "What?" he asked curtly.

"I- I can't think... can't we just go somewhere besides the middle of the street?" Teresa pleaded.

"I don't think it's a great idea..." Bradin said lowly.

"Why?"

"I just don't."

"But why?" Teresa was honestly asking. She cringed thinking Bradin was going to say that he shouldn't answer her "why" since she hadn't answered his. But he didn't.

"If you must know, I wouldn't trust myself not to hurt you..." Bradin admitted, keeping his face stern with anger, "Just... just give it time for me cool off, okay? And for you to clear your head." Bradin tried to smile but it came out a funny little frown.

Teresa nodded silently. She watched him walk off without another word and lifted her head high, wiping the tears from her cheeks, angry that they were even there. She walked off with an air of dignity, making those milling around realize now wasn't the greatest time to question what the fight had been about.

Bradin entered his house and shut the door hard. Nikki, who was sitting on the foot of the stairs, looked up. She sighed deeply. She had been hoping to talk to Bradin but the look on his face told her he would be in no mood. Still, she'd try it anyway. Maybe they could talk both their problems out.

Bradin, seeming to just notice his sister, sighed, looking softer just at the sight of her. "Hey..." he said softly, "What's wrong?"

Nikki was surprised. He noticed that she wasn't in a great mood herself even though he wasn't either... Wow, Bradin was growing up. Shoot, that was just like her dad.

"Brae, I really miss them..." Nikki all but whispered. That hadn't been what she wanted to say but it came over her all of a sudden and she felt like she had to say it or she'd cry.

Bradin looked surprised, "That's what's wrong?" he asked, sitting down beside her.

"No... I just... thought about dad..."

"Oh..." Bradin nodded knowingly. "So do I, Nik..."

Nikki smiled wryly. "Anyway, what's wrong is Aunt Ava."

"What'd she do now?"

"She's just so worried about me and Cameron 'doing something' that she gets really embarrassing and annoying and she won't hardly let me be alone with him... ever."

"Yeah, I've noticed that..." Bradin said, agreeing that Ava was being a bit over the top with her protectiveness. "I guess she's just trying to protect you, Nik, she loves you so much, you know."

"Yeah... but Cam respects me and he knows our boundaries!" Nikki sighed in frustration. "And, even with her gone it's like, I _still _can't get away from her! And now she's got Jay acting the same way... Do you know what she just did?" she exclaimed and, not waiting for an answer, continued, "She just called me, from _New York_, to ask me what Cam and I had been doing lately!! From New York! What we'd been _doing_ lately!! Gahhh!!" Nikki half yelled in frustration. "Whatever though, I don't wanna think about it anymore right now... what's wrong with you?" she changed the subject.

Bradin said nothing for a minute then, looking up from the floor, he said, "Teresa sort of... cheated on me."

Nikki was shocked. "Are you serious!?" she exclaimed.

"Yes." Bradin said, more harshly then he meant to.

"Sorry... wow... with who? How bad?" Nikki wanted to know.

"She said they just made out and slept in the same bed... she stressed the fact that 'that was _all_ they did.'" Bradin said with a sigh, still not sure whether to believe that or not.

"Well... I guess you should believe her." Nikki advised, reading his thoughts.

Bradin looked at her.

"I mean, she's never lied to you before... why believe she is now?" Nikki said logically.

"I guess you're right... but it's gonna be hard to trust her now, you know... I mean, I never would have imagined she'd do something like that!" Bradin said, obviously hurt his finance had cheated on him.

"I know... but try it anyway. Maybe she was messed up?" Nikki suggested, the thought just occurring to her.

"Maybe... I guess I should talk to her..." Bradin didn't seem keen on the idea.

"Yeah, you should."

There was a knock on the door at that moment and Nikki called out, "Come in!"

Opening the door and popping his head in, Cameron Bale said, "Hey! You guys wanna come down to the beach tonight? It's gonna be awesome!"

"What's going on at the beach tonight? And why don't you come in!" Nikki laughed.

"I can't, gotta get home, but I had to stop and ask you this!" Cameron grinned, "It's just gonna be a party, with like, everybody. Big bonfire, all the kids, most of their parents..." he laughed, "Man, _everybody's_ coming!"

"Okay... and I didn't know about this _how_?" Nikki laughed.

"Yeah, I was already going, thanks, Cam!" Bradin said, remembering he had planned to take Teresa. Oh, shit.

"Uh!" Nikki exclaimed, "Well, fine, you guys, leave me out of this!" she laughed. "I'll definitely be there! If Jay will let me, I mean, but I guess he will if parents are gonna be there too." The younger sibling smiled at her boyfriend.

"Awesome! I'll come by on my way to see if you're coming, say about 7?" Cameron asked.

"Sounds good! See you then!" Nikki smiled.

Cameron smiled back and closed the door.

"How in the world I missed that I'll never know..." Nikki laughed, "Anyway, you should go find Teresa... she's probably crying her eyes out wishing she hadn't done something so stupid."

Bradin looked at his sister. "Maybe." With that he got up and headed out the front door leaving Nikki behind to call Amber and figure out why she didn't know about this party till that moment.

Bradin walked around the beach for about an hour, trying to clear his thoughts and figure out what he was going to say to Teresa... or should he let her do the talking. He decided she should at least explain herself so he headed to her house. On the way he met a guy he knew named John.

"Yo, Bradin, you going to that party Saturday night?" John asked, his eyes were bloodshot and he wasn't standing very straight.

"Um... dude, that's tonight. It is Saturday." Bradin laughed, "What the hell are you on?"

"Nothing, nothing, shh..." John warned, "It's some good shit, you should try it. Right, Saturday... tonight, I'll be there!" with that the teen stumbled off making Bradin laugh and shake his head. "If you're not in jail by tonight..." he mumbled.

Arriving at Teresa's house Bradin knocked on the door. Maybe they wouldn't hear it and he wouldn't have to deal-

Teresa's mother opened the door, her dark red hair pulled up in a pony tail with a wisp or two hanging out over her ears. She was dressed in a long white skirt and peach blouse with sleeves clung to her forearms and gradually got wider will they hung open around her tiny wrists. It wasn't very a "summer-ish" outfit and yet, somehow, you didn't question it on Karen Coleman. "Bradin!" Karen smiled widely, "We haven't seen you in a while! Come in, come in! Please forgive the house! Rachel and I have been trying to redecorate... But then she went on a trip so..." Karen said, waving the obvious mess aside. "I think Teresa's out with a friend but please don't leave just yet! I'd like to ask your opinion on something. That is, if you have time."

Bradin smiled. He really liked Teresa's mother, she reminded him of his own mother. And their name's being the same didn't make matters worse. "Um... actually..." Bradin tried to say he had to leave without being rude, he hated to say no to Karen.

"If you don't have time, I understand..." Karen sighed.

"I'm sorry, I just... I really need to go talk to somebody..." Bradin said.

"Oh, it's okay, don't feel bad, dear, I'll just show you some other time! Go on, get lost!" Mrs. Coleman laughed.

Bradin smiled, "Thanks, I'll see you later!" with that he headed back out and started on his quest to find Teresa. Luckily it didn't take long before he spotted the 16-year-old beauty sitting on the beach with a darker haired girl, looking out towards the ocean.

He walked up slowly and, once he was about 2 feet away said, "Hey..."

Teresa looked up and Bradin could tell she'd been crying. She looked back down quickly. The darker haired girl looked up and Bradin recognized her as Amber Farine, a girl he knew pretty well but wasn't really close to. Teresa had met her at a party for Bradin's friend a while back and the two of them had become close. "Bradin," she spoke sharply but not meanly, "just give her some space!"

"Please, look, I just need to talk to you, Reese!" Bradin ignored Amber.

"About what?" Teresa was being stubborn. No way was she just gonna crawl back into Bradin's arms after she had tried so hard to apologize in the middle of the damn street and he refused to accept it!

"Teresa, damn it, you know what!" Bradin sat down next to his fiancée. "Please, Reese, I know you're sorry and I know I just... walked off. But, baby, I still love you and I don't want us to fall apart... can you just give me a chance to talk to you about it?"

Teresa sniffled and gave Amber a hug, whispering, "I'll call you, thanks for listening to me."

Amber returned the hug and whispered, "Anytime, girl, do call me." Pulling out of the hug she added as an afterthought, "I'll see you tonight?"

Teresa looked over at Bradin, "Are- are we still going to the bonfire tonight?"

"If you want to, yeah." Bradin tried to smile.

Teresa nodded and turned back to Amber, "See you tonight." She confirmed. The darker haired girl got up and headed down the beach, smiling at the couple before she left.

Turning her gaze to the waves, Teresa mumbled, "Bradin, I- I..."

"Baby, it's-" Bradin started but Teresa cut him off.

"No, don't! Wait, just hear me out. I need to tell you everything and then, then if you want to forgive me you can, but I don't want you to forgive me not knowing what you're forgiving, make any sense?" the 16-year-old said, looking over at her fiancé.

Bradin nodded mutely, understanding what she meant.

Taking a deep breath, Teresa blurt it all out, "Okay, well, last night I was on my way to meet you at Sarah's and Joey met me along the way. He was being sweet and just sweet-talking me and I guess I just gave in. I don't know why. I don't know what made me do it because I knew you were gonna be waiting for me but I just... I went to his house with him and nobody was home but him and we played Guitar Hero then watched TV, well, we had the TV playing in the background while we made out... Bradin, I honestly don't know why. I love you, I just gave in and let it happen, and no, in case you're wondering, I wasn't on anything or anything like that... I did it. I have no reason and no excuse. And I'm sorry." The red-brown haired girl finished her tale, her head hung low in shame.

Bradin sat in silence a minute, taking in everything that she had just said to him. He was debating whether to "punish" her for it somehow. He finally decided that would be stupid and pointless and that he should just forgive her outright. "Teresa, I understand what I'm forgiving and I forgive you. I love you too much to lose you over that..." he lifted Teresa's shame-hung head and smiled at her, gazing into her eyes, "I love you, Teresa, it's okay... It's obvious you're sorry and that you're not gonna do that again and so I forgive you. Everybody deserves another chance!"

Tears fell from Teresa's eyes, tears of joy. She couldn't find her voice but Bradin, apparently, didn't mind. He just gingerly took Teresa's hand in his and, lifting it to his face, kissed it softly. "Why don't we go get some lunch?"

Teresa nodded, still not being able to speak for the lump of happiness in her throat. How could Bradin be so perfect as to forgive her over _this_! God, she loved him! She _loved_ him.

* * *

And there it is!! So Bradin forgave little miss naughty girl, huh? Lol Whatcha'y'all thinkin'!? REVIEW PLEASE!! Merci

_Xoxo,  
_Anna Christie

**PS to Somuch4myhappyending**: BJ, Oh my God! you are in so much trouble!! I yesterday afternoon I went and read your whole story, **Drenched in your Tears**, over again cause I thought you had updated stuff I hadn't read yet, for some reason, and it turns out there were NO NEW CHAPTERS!! And I'm gonna cry cause I really love that story and I realllllyyyy want to see what happens and you haven't updated since march and I'm gonna kick your butt if you don't! Cause I really wanna get to the part where Bradin kicks "you know who's" "you know what!" SO GO UPDATE or else!! What's else, you ask? I won't update. And then, because it will be your fault, all my other readers will come and kick your butt so you might as well just get on it cause either way you slice it, you're gettin' your butt kicked if you don't!! -big smile- I mean it, missy!! teehee lylas, Hope you enjoyed the chapter!!


	7. 6: Ooh, Baby

**I do not own Summerland.**

So sorry for the longer wait for an update this time! I hope it's good!!

**wwegurl4ever77**, thanks a million for reading/reviewing, glad you like it so far, hope you like it the rest of the way! )

**StrawberryCheeseCak3**, thank you so much for the awesome review, girl! LOL Joe's like that? Wait, I'll ask you now, I'm talking to you after all lol And I hope you like this ch! (I think I told you about you being "in" the story but if not, soon, soon. You'll see. I have an awesome idea for your character! –grins- but you'll have to just keep reading

**SoMuch4MyHappyEnding**, I didn't get your LONG review... I hate that... I wonder what you said darn it haha that sucks. I am glad you liked the story though, cause I that. (like, whatever shows up on the reviews page is all I got. So sorry.) I'm glad you liked the Nik/Cam! :D and Bradin is forgiving... but for how long? –grins evilly- haha Hope you like this ch! (ps, I usually, when I write a review that long, copy and past it to a notepad JUST in case it doesn't work so I can PM it to the person, cause that's happened to me more then once! Just a tip lylas enjoy the chapter!!)

**angel-prncess-18**, lol thanks for the suggestion but I've already got the next like, 5 chapters written and Bradin and Joey DO meet in chapter 7. You shall see... hope you like this chapter!!

**ShiaLover09**, lol yeah, well, you know my Bradin is like the real Bradin. He's like this cross between Bradin/Jesse and like, Nick Jonas LOL but I'm glad it worked! Hope you like this ch!!

**6Ellie6**, thank you!! Enjoy this ch!!

**Ash Riley**, Yeah, but I was thinking... well, you'll see. Bradin's kinda "blind" to things right now. After all, he's in love, love is blind. You know the old saying! I hope it wasn't too unbelievable!! And I hope you like this chapter!! And will keep liking the story!! –smiles-

Enjoy, guys!! Not sure how soon I'll be able to update next but I'll try my best to hurry for my wonderful loyal readers!! ((hugs))

* * *

**Chapter VI**

_**Ooh, Baby**_

A week past and the summer had fallen into a comfortable rythem of partying, sleeping in, partying and sleeping in. Bradin and Teresa's relationship went on as though none of the events of the previous weekend had occurred. Teresa was grateful and Bradin was happier just forgetting it.

Teresa lay on her bed wide awake, the covers wrapped tightly around her as thunder rumbled loudly outside her windows. She turned to see her clock. Nine. Damn. And still her mother wasn't home...

_Oh, kiss me..._ Her cell phone went off suddenly, startling the already jumpy teen. _..beneath the milky twilight, lead me out on the moonlit floor... lift your open hand, strike up the band and make the fireflies dance _ She quickly got out of bed and hurried over to her dresser. _..silver moon sparkly. So kiss me-_

"Hello?"

"Hey, baby!" Bradin's voice came over the line.

"Brea!" Teresa was relieved to hear a comforting voice as thunder cracked over the strong, well built house making the windows and doors rattle like it was a tiny cardboard structure.

"What's going on?" Bradin asked, sounding slightly bored, "Unfortunately the storm's got me stuck home tonight and there's nothing to do here..."

Teresa laughed, "I'm just laying in bed... kinda um..."

"Scared?" Bradin asked, but it was more of a statement.

"Yeah... I wish it would stop..." Teresa mumbled into her cell phone. "This is what Matt and Dad died in... because of..." tears slid from the teenage girl's eyes and her voice shook.

"Babe, I hate to say this, like, _really_ hate to say this but I gotta go..." Bradin said, sounding genuinely upset that he had to get off the phone with her.

"Oh..." Teresa was surprised since he had just called but she didn't press it. "It's alright... call me later, okay?" she replied biting her lip to keep from sounding extremely upset, which she was.

"I will. Promise." Bradin said, "I love you, bye, babe!"

"I love you too, bye..." Teresa waited for Bradin's line to click off before she closed her phone. Again thunder shook the house and more lightning lit up the night sky with a brilliance normally awing but, to Teresa, fear inflicting. She _hated_, absolutely _hated_ being alone in a storm... And they really didn't have many out here in southern California, but when they did...

Scared and upset Teresa crawled back into bed and hid beneath the covers. She felt like an idiot really... acting like a little 4-year-old like this but... she couldn't help it! She was damn afraid of these things!And where was her mother anyway? Whenever her mother was late coming home, and didn't call, Teresa worried. And having it being storming out wasn't helping matters, she kept finding herself imagining all sorts of horrors that might be befalling her mother. After what seemed like an hour, but was more like 15 minutes, the door bell rang its cheerful little tune through the house just as another bolt of lightning flashed through the sky, cutting it open like a wounded heart.

Teresa jumped out of bed where she was still laying and ran down the stairs, maybe it was her mom and she wouldn't have to be alone anymore- She pulled open the door and stopped short, half shocked, half amused.

"Had to get off the phone, huh?" she said sarcastically.

"Well... now I have to get out of this rain, may I?" Bradin Westerly asked, standing on Teresa's doorstep, getting soaked despite the fact that he had an umbrella.

"Yeah, of course! Come in!!" Teresa exclaimed, smiling and letting Bradin in the house.

He turned and waved off a car, which Teresa hadn't noticed till just then, before shutting the door.

"Did Jay drive you over?" she asked helping him find a place to put the soaking umbrella.

"Yeah... I figured you were really scared and lonely so I asked him if he'd drive me over here real quick, which he did, obviously."

"I see... well, you figured right-" Teresa was interrupted by Bradin kissing her quickly on the lips.

"I know, shh... I know how scared you get cause of this being how your dad and brother died... I know... and Reese, baby, you haven't ever realized it but I don't like 'em either... Remember, my parents died in a flood..." Bradin pulled Teresa into his arms as he said all this, making her smile through tear filled eyes. She just smiled cause she couldn't say anything for fear she'd cry... and besides, even if she could have, she couldn't think of anything. Instead she pulled him close and kissed him deeply before pulling away and whispering, "I love you..." as thunder, again, shook the house.

--

Another week of lazy summer afternoons and crazy summer nights passed before Bradin realized that he wasn't enjoying himself very much. He was hardly seeing Teresa because they hadn't done anything alone in a while, well not counting snuggling on the couch all night last weekend... And when they were with friends they usually didn't see much of each other because Teresa hung out with the people who weren't getting drunk, rare as they were, and Bradin got drunk nearly every night.

He woke up Saturday morning feeling like crap and realizing he was missing Teresa awfully. He'd have to go see her today! Definitely. He groaned. But not right now. Right now the sun was too bright, the ocean too loud and his head was screaming. He shut his eyes and turned on his side to escape the morning sunlight coming through his windows.

Teresa woke up early Saturday morning and for a change got up. She couldn't remember getting up before 11 since school got out. But it was 8 now and she was actually too bored to sleep anymore. Shocking.

"Morning, Mom!" Teresa greeted her mother with a cheery smile and a quick kiss on the cheek before pouring herself a bowl of cereal and sitting down at the table. Her mother sat across from her in a pink robe and her hair still messy from sleeping.

"Morning, Honey," Karen smiled at her daughter. "What do you have planned today?"

"Nothing till later..." Teresa admitted.

"Same here..." Teresa's mother laughed slightly.

"Really? What are you doing later?" Teresa moved a spoonful of Frosted Mini Wheats to her mouth and chewed unsuspecting that what her mother said next would choke her.

"I have a date." Karen ventured calmly, taking a bite of bagel.

Teresa gasped without meaning to and started coughing uncontrollably, gagging on a piece of cereal.

Her mother jumped up and came over to pat her daughter on the back. When Teresa's coughing calmed down her mother retook her seat and said, again being calm, "Is there something wrong with that?"

Teresa was genuinely speechless. Something she hadn't ever really been before. "Um..." she started but found there was nothing she could really say. "No. Who with?" it was the first thing that came to her mind. Er... besides, "YES, THERE'S SOMETHING WRONG WITH THAT!! I miss dad like hell and you're gonna start _dating_?!" But, of course, she couldn't say that to her mother.

"His name is Sean Ericson. I met him at _The Joint_ the other night when I was there with my new friend, Cindy. He's 36, and extremely sweet. Not to mention he looks good and co owns his family's Pizza business." Ms. Coleman seemed to lose herself in thoughts of her new "beau" which left Teresa to seethe.

"She met him at a _bar_ and she's _dating_ after only one damn year since dad died!! How could she do this to me!?" Teresa's thoughts stopped abruptly as her cell rang its familiar tune of Kiss Me from the living room.

Excusing herself and jumping up Teresa hurried into the living room, grabbing her phone and answering it instantaneously. "Yeah?"

"Hey, it's Sarah, what's up?"

"Not much..."

"You and Bradin still coming over tonight?"

"Far as I know, but I haven't talked to him."

"Well why don't you come over now? We're bored, just laying around, drinking, smoking, no shit. Want to?"

"This early?"

"Well, yeah, most of us didn't sleep anyway, ha, ha!" Sarah laughed. "So you wanna come?"

Teresa thought for a minute. Stay here and watch her mother flit around the house preparing for a date with a man Teresa had never met, and didn't particularly want to, or go to Sarah's and hang out with some fun-loving friends. Maybe even get drunk... She wasn't sure cause she'd never done it but she was pretty sure it was a great way to get away from everything for a few hours. Perfect idea. "Sure!"

"Great! See you in...?"

"Maybe 30?"

"Sounds good, see you then!" Sarah hung up followed by Teresa.

"Yeah... sounds good..." Teresa murmured as she headed back to the kitchen to dump the remainder of her cereal and put her bowl in the dishwasher.

"I'm heading to Sarah's now, I'll see you later." Teresa said quickly after finishing up in the kitchen.

"Oh, honey, I need somebody to watch Lillian while I go out tonight..." Karen said.

"Damn it," Teresa mumbled under her breath. Thinking quick she asked, "What time do you leave?"

"He's picking me up at 7."

"Then I'll be home by 6:30, how 'bout that?"

"That's fine. So long as you make sure you are!" Karen agreed with a warning.

"I will, now bye!" With that she flew out the front door and headed in the general direction of Sarah's house.

Arriving at her friend's house she didn't even bother knocking. "'Sup, guys?" she greeted, bursting through Sarah's door and letting it close behind her.

"Nada." Jeremy Perkins replied. Jeremy was an 18-year-old blonde who only cared about three things in life, surfing, drinking and drugs. No wait, make that four; sex. Taking a drag on his cigarette he held it out to Teresa, "I forget, do you smoke?"

Teresa shook her head, "I have but not really..." she kicked her shoes off and sprawled out on Sarah's couch where the 18-year-old girl was already sitting.

"Hey, girl! Glad you came... we're so bored."

"Ditto."

"So what do you guys wanna do?" Alex Singleton asked, from where he was laying on the floor. "Damn, my head hurts..." he added, making a strange face as though he had no clue why.

Everybody laughed at the look on his face. Actually, it wasn't that funny, they were just so bored and out of it that it seemed hilarious.

"So, Teresa..." Jeremy looked the 16-year-old up and down before continuing. "Whatcha' doin' tonight?"

Teresa scoffed at him, "Not you."

"Ooohh" the room chorused, mocking Jeremy.

Jeremy didn't say anything, he just gave Teresa a look that said, "Yeah, you are."

Teresa rolled her eyes. "Hey, Sarah, got anything to drink?"

"You mean drink, drink or just drink?" Sarah laughed then answered before she got a reply. "Everything's in the fridge, honey."

"Thanks." Teresa stood up and headed to the kitchen. Jeremy followed her and the room again chorused an "oh."

--

"Bradin Westerly are you gonna get up today or not!?" Jay Robertson demanded, busrting through the teen's bedroom door and ripping the curtains open.

"Shit, Jay..." Bradin mumbled, barely awake.

"Brae... what's up with you?" Jay laughed, "Don't you ever get up before noon anymore?"

"No..." Bradin mumbled burying his head in his pillow, trying to block the sunlight from hitting his eyes.

"Oh, come on, man! I don't understand you guys! You get up everyday at 6 in the morning for school but as soon as school lets out, it's noon!?" Jay laughed again, "What's with that crap, man?"

"Have to make up for all the lost sleep during the school year." Bradin smiled inspite of the fact that his face was buried in a pillow.

"Okay, whatever." Jay rolled his eyes and chuckled, "Just get your butt up!"

"Yeah, yeah.." Bradin mumbled again.

"I'll be back, dude!" Jay left the room, slamming Bradin's door to wake him up.

Bradin groaned and rolled over. He looked at the clock. God, 10 in the morning was far too early to be getting up! Standing up and stretching he stumbled over to his dresser and dug around till he found something to wear then headed to the shower.

"Morning, Brae! My, you're up bright and early!!" Nikki made a shocked face as Bradin sat down at the kitchen table, dressed for the day nonetheless, at the early hour of 10:30am.

"Shut up, Nikki..." Bradin put his head in his hands on the table and mumbled something Nikki couldn't make out.

"You know, I thought you liked to surf!" Jay laughed, something he'd been doing all day it seemed. "Best surfing is early, you know?"

"Yeah, yeah.. I know..." Bradin looked up, "But I don't care."

"I mighta' figured that one. Here, eat something you two." Jay placed a pan of eggs and a plate of toast on the table in front of the two teens, letting them help themselves.

"Thanks, Jay!" Nikki said cheerily.

"You're welcome Nik," Jay smiled. "And I'll just expect your thanks tomorrow when you're actually awake." He added, directing this at Bradin who laughed and thanked him.

"So what are you two doing today?"

"I'm going to chill with Amber all day. We're shutting out our boyfriends and having a girls' day!" Nikki giggled. "Cam and Tony are so ticked, ha, ha!"

Jay laughed and gave Nikki a "thumb's-up." "Brae?"

"I don't know..." Bradin shrugged. "I'm gonna try to find Reese and see about just hanging out together instead of with everybody else like we've been doing."

"Should be fun." Jay smiled. "Actually, I'm gonna find Erica and do the same."

"Awesome." Bradin gave the older man a wink, making Jay laugh and Nikki roll her eyes.

"Oh, but don't forget your brother's coming home today, you two." Jay added, "Your aunt Grace called and said they'd be here around 2, that way she can turn right around and get on a plane at 3:30 and fly back tonight. Remember, she's flying home with him cause she and Ava didn't want him flying alone."

"Yeah, so... are you wanting us here or something?" Bradin asked.

"Well, I thought it would be a nice thing... and besides, your aunt Ava called and asked me to have you two say hi and bye to your aunt Grace." Jay revealed his real reason with a chuckle. "But it would be nice for Derrick anyway."

"I'll definitely be here!" Nikki piped up, "What if I come home at quarter till 2 and then I can head back out after Auntie Grace leaves?"

"That works." Jay said, "And Bradin?"

"I'll get here when Nikki does." He said, smiling. "And I'll leave when Nikki does too. Wouldn't want her getting to do anything I don't. You know, me get stuck at home and her not..."

Nikki hit him in the arm laughing out, "Bradin!"

Bradin jumped up and shouted, "Damn, Jay, I have an abusive sister!" Then he laughed and pulled his sister's ponytail making her yelp. "Bradin Westerly!!" she yelled.

"What? You beat me up, I beat you up!" Bradin was still laughing.

"Oh, is that right!?" Nikki jumped up and hit him in the arm again, this time for real.

"Ha!" Bradin started tickling Nikki. She tickled him back and it went like that till they were both on the floor laughing too hard to breathe. That was a game they used to play when they were younger, back in Kansas.

"I'm still better then you." Nikki said between gasping breaths.

"Are not!" Bradin argued as though they were two 4-year-olds.

"Are too!" Nikki replied, going so far as to stick her tongue out at him.

Jay just shook his head at the two. To be that young again. "You guys are crazy." He commented, rinsing out his bowl and putting it in the dishwasher.

The teens seemed to have forgotten Jay was even there cause when he spoke they jerked to look at him, "Oh!" Bradin laughed, "You're still here? Go get your girl, man! What's wrong with you!? Are you waiting for some tourist to catch her attention!? Damn!"

Jay burst out laughing. "I could say ditto!" he shot back and hurried out of the kitchen before Bradin could retort.

--

Teresa looked over at the clock. It was 5:30pm and she had been there about 8 hours. Damn... First she had just hung out and talked then gotten "tipsy" then sobered then watched TV with a couple of other people who showed up but didn't wanna get messed up. Then she and Sarah had gone out for a while to buy a new outfit for Sarah's job interview the coming Monday. After that they had come back and chilled some more till now. The whole time Jeremy had been, quite obviously, looking at Teresa with one thing on his mind.

Now he got up and came over to the teen. "So... when you headin' home?"

"Few minutes." Teresa said, trying to ignore him despite how hot he looked being slightly high and mussed from scuffling with a few of the other guys there a minute ago.

"Gives us time." Jeremy smirked. "Sarah's got an extra bedroom... people use it all the time."

Teresa went to say, "You wish." But Jeremy kissed her passionately before she could get it out. Instead of slapping the crap out of him she let him continue. The next thing she knew was being in that extra bedroom Jeremy had mentioned with his arms around her waist and hers around his neck as they kissed. Her mind was going crazy with warning signals but she ignored them as Jeremy pulled off her shirt and pushed her onto the bed, still kissing her.

* * *

AH HA! What are you doing, Teresa?? Thoughts/reactions please, everyone? 3...2... 1... REVIEW!!

_Anna Christie_

**PS** How were all of y'all's (those of you in the US of course haha) _Independence Day_? Mine turned out pretty good for a change, went with my family to watch fireworks and we got a watermelon (though we wound up not eating it that day haha) and just kinda chilled together for a change so yeah, it was good! Hope y'all's was a blast! Luv ya!


	8. 7: Don't Disrespect The Girls, Man

**I do not own Summerland.**

**Okay, y'all, I'm in a hurry and –cough- lazy right now so I'm not gonna say much of anything but thank you! Haha you're lucky you're even getting a chapter tonight! But I got so many reviews and so much love that I just had to! Here we go!!**

**ShiaLover09**, THANK YOU!! I don't know about that... you'll see! Hope you like this chapter!

**froggy2045**, THANK YOU!! Haha no, it's fine. I do that to you too so yeah... at least we're both still reading, no? Hope you like this ch!!

**StrawberryCheeseCak3**, LOL your review made me laugh out loud! THANK YOU!! Hope you like this ch

**angelprncess18**, Yah, yah, crazy! THANK YOU!! Hope you like this ch!

**6Ellie6**, Can't he? THANK YOU!! Hope you like this ch!

**Ash Riley**, am **I** serious? It was Teresa who did it, not me! –winks- and yes, I definitely have a reason for adding this! Haha Awwwe no fireworks!? Well, eating is good!! Lol Hope you like this ch and THANK YOU!!

**Supernaturalsdarkangel08**, I hate to sound like I'm repeating myself... but since I am, THANK YOU!! And I hope you like this ch! (really? Stupid girls!! Oh wait, I created Teresa didn't I... hmmmmm) haha

BTW, the THANK YOU!!'s were meant to mean "thank you for reading/reviewing!" love y'all, enjoy the chapter!!

* * *

**Chapter VII**

_**Don't Disrespect The Girls, Man**_

Bradin couldn't believe it. He had tried all day to find Teresa but without any luck. First he tried her house but her mother said she was at their friend Sarah's house. So he headed that way but ran into a few of his friends who convinced him to go surfing with them which he did for a while then they all went to one of the guy's house and hung out there for a while longer. After that Bradin tried Sarah's house only to be told that Sarah and Teresa had gone to the mall. He cursed and left, heading for nowhere. He would have stayed at Sarah's till they got back but he had to be home in less then an hour to visit with his Aunt Grace. And he knew if he waited at Sarah's for even half an hour he'd start drinking and that wouldn't be good. He figured he'd just find Teresa somewhere after his aunt left.

After visiting Grace and talking to Derrick for a little while he went to Teresa's house only to be informed she still wasn't home and wasn't even due to be till 6:30pm. He wandered around the beach for a few minutes doing nothing. He had tried just calling Teresa on her cell way earlier but had gotten her mother. Turns out she had left her phone at her house that morning. This had not worked out so far. And already it was 5'o'clock. He decided to try Sarah's again and headed that way.

"Hey, Brae, give us a hand?!" Somebody shouted from somewhere down the road. Bradin looked up from walking and saw Joel Smith and Tim Burton waving to him while bracing to fight four other guys Bradin only recognized as "jocks from school."

"Comin'!" he shouted back then laughed and ran up to where Joel and Tim were. "What's up?" he asked, keeping his guard up lest one of the guys should try something.

"These bastards were dissing our girls, man." Joel explained "Yours too. Dude there said she was a whore cause, supposedly, she fucked Joey Marvin last weekend." He added, pointing to a tall youth with black hair and green eyes.

"Speak of the devil." Bradin commented as Joey Marvin ran up to the guys, seeing they were about to be in a fight and figuring, "the more the merrier" for his boys' side.

"'Sup, dudes?"

"You fuck my girl, man?" Bradin wanted to know.

"No! I swear, Bradin. I mean, I ain't gonna lie, we made out but that was it." Joey said truthfully.

Bradin nodded, believing him. "Okay then." With that he threw a left hook to the guy who had accused Teresa of sleeping with Joey, saying, "Don't you _ever_ call my girl a whore." The guy, turning red with anger that Bradin had gotten in the first punch, immediately started swinging. After 2 seconds a full-out fist fight was going on.

Joey and Bradin were back-to-back. Bradin fighting the tall guy and Joey facing off a blonde jock named Billy. Tim and Joel were dealing with the other two guys, one a short stocky guy with brown hair and the other a strong football player well known around Playa Linda for being the world's biggest player. His name, Tim remembered, was Gary. Before long a small crowd had gathered to watch and cheer. Among the onlookers was Teresa and Bradin's friend, Amber and Bradin's best friend, Lucas, who, as soon as he arrived, quickly joined the fight. He didn't care what they were fighting about, if one of his friends was in on it, so was he. With Lucas now helping the odds were turned from tie to win. It was 5 against 4 and, although the jocks were bigger then Joel's group, they still had the advantage of one more person and they were better fighters then the jocks seemed to be.

Bradin's man went down after Lucas jumped in and punched the guy in the gut while Bradin threw an uppercut the his jaw sending him backwards. Bradin and Lucas high-fived then turned their attention to the guy named Billy who had Joey on the ground. He had kicked Joey in the groin and then, taking his advantage, knocked him to the ground and kicked him in the side several times. He was still at it when Bradin and Lucas ganged up on him and took him down with a cry of pain as his left arm hit the pavement. The fight had been going on less then 3 minutes when two police cars skidded to a stop outside the music store where the fight had broken out. Immediately everyone dispersed. The jocks filtered into the crowd as it moved quickly away leaving Joel's gang to get out of there before they were the only ones left. A thing that Joel and Tim quickly did. Bradin however wasn't just going to leave Joey, who was lying on the ground moaning in pain. As pissed at him as he was for making out with Teresa he still couldn't just leave him, even if he had to take the rap for everything.

Lucas, who had started to move off with the crowd noticed Bradin was kneeling beside Joey and decided to come back. He didn't know if Tim and Joel were just being asses or if they hadn't realized Joey was down but either way, Bradin was about to take everything if he didn't go back so he did.

The police got out and shouted after the crowd, "Whoever else was in on this better get back here, now! Or we'll find you." But, of course, they were ignored. Shaking their heads the cops came up to Lucas, Bradin and Joey. One of them knelt beside Bradin and asked, "Did anybody call an ambulance yet?" Bradin shook his head, he didn't think that was really necessary. But once the cops were in on something, you couldn't do much about it. He stood up and motioned for his partner to call the paramedics. The other two officers went up to talk to the store owner, who was out on his sidewalk and had called the police in the first place.

"Alright, you two, what are your names?" the officer, who's tag read Lee, asked Lucas and Bradin.

"Is this really necessary? I mean, dude, the ones who started it all got away!" Lucas argued.

"I said, what are your names?" the officer repeated sternly.

With a sigh Lucas gave his name, age, address, parents' phone number and the names of his parents as requested then the officer turned to Bradin, "And you?"

Bradin cursed under his breath before replying. "Bradin Westerly, 17, my parents are dead, my aunt is my legal guardian and her name is Ava Gregory, her phone number's 555-6209."

The officer wrote all this down, "And where do you live?"

Bradin gave his street address.

"Man... do you really have to talk to his aunt? I mean, does it have to be his _aunt_?" Lucas asked, trying to save Bradin some major trouble.

"And just who else would I talk to?" Lee wanted to know.

"Jay Robertson, that's his aunt's housemate and really, really good friend. Kinda like a father to Bradin since he lost his. I was just wondering... I mean, his aunt's not a very happy camper when Bradin gets in trouble... Just trying to save him some trouble, since he didn't start any of this."

"You didn't have a part in starting it?"

"Actually..." Bradin admitted he had thrown the first punch. "But, Luc is right, if you could talk to Jay instead... that _would_ be awesome." The teen was hopeful.

"I don't think so... I'm supposed to talk to parents and legal guardians. Not friends, no matter how close they are." The officer replied. He was amused but didn't show it, this kid's aunt must really be a pain when she was mad.

"I understand." Bradin stood up as the paramedics arrived. "It was just a thought, thanks, Luc." He said to Lucas who nodded.

"Wow, speak of the devil twice in one hour," Bradin commented as he noticed Jay Robertson coming up.

"Bradin? Oh God, what did you do now?" he said once he was close enough to be certain it was Bradin.

"What's it look like, man?" Bradin laughed and winced. Damn his side hurt, he hadn't noticed that before.

"Uh huh... Your aunt's gonna be maaaad." Jay dragged out the word.

"Wait a minute!" Bradin turned to the office, "My aunt's in New York, how can you talk to her?"

"Well..." Lee turned to his partner who shrugged and said, "In that case we talk to whoever was left in charge. Apparently this guy?" he looked at Jay who nodded. "Yes, sir, that's me."

"Well, okay then." The officer took Jay aside till they were out of earshot of the teens.

"Least it's not your aunt!" Lucas tried to laugh but he was worried what _his_ parents were gonna do. He just knew they were gonna be pissed off beyond what he liked to endure since he'd already been in trouble with the cops twice since the summer started. And that had only been one month!

"Yeah, I can't believe it didn't hit me she was out of town till just now." Bradin knew Lucas was worried about his parents' reaction. "You didn't have to come back, you know."

"And let you take the whole damn thing? No way!"

"Joey was here too, he'd of taken some of it. Probably more then me, he's 18."

"But still. We're friends, Bradin, that's what friends do. Even if it will mean me being locked in my room for the rest of the summer. Which, by the way, will kill me." Lucas laughed but he was serious.

"Bradin," Jay came back over to him. "You have a choice. I can let them take you downtown and make you spend a night in-"

Bradin cringed. No way. "What's the other choice?" he interrupted.

"Go home and promise not to do this again." Jay said it in such a way that it seemed a worse choice then the first one, making Bradin unsure he had even heard him right. "What?"

The officer laughed and went off to get Joey's information as he was sitting up on the bumper of the ambulance now, waving the paramedics away from him and looking like he wasn't in quite so much pain as before.

"What did you say?" Bradin said, still not believing Jay was serious.

Jay broke into a smile, "I said you're off scot-free. _But_ you can't do this again, you got that?" he added sternly.

Bradin grinned, "Got it." He turned to Lucas who was shaking his head.

"Let me guess," he said, directing this at Jay, "_You_ had the choice to either put Bradin in jail for the night as a sort of punishment and lesson or you could let him go home-free. Or let him choose, which is a given what he'd choose by the way. Anyway, so you chose to let him go, am I right?"

"Yeah..." Jay knew where Lucas was going with this, "Sorry, man! Hope the fight was worth it, cause I know you're dad. You're definitely getting 'taught a lesson' so to speak."

Lucas nodded glumly. "Yeah, definitely. And was it worth it?" he laughed, "I have no clue, I just jumped in to help these guys before they got their butts whipped."

"Oh, yeah, sure..." Bradin rolled his eyes, "We could handle ourselves, man, we didn't need you!" he punched Lucas in the arm.

"Dude, look at Joey! I rest my case." He laughed.

Bradin grinned, "Thanks, by the way."

Officer Lee, who had overheard this exchange while standing behind them waiting for the paramedics to let him talk to Joey, spoke up. "You know what? I'm a nice guy. I was your age once and I had parents who sound like yours."

Lucas turned around, "I'm sorry, are you talking to me?" he asked, politely.

"Yeah. Anyway, I was saying. I don't think you're a bad kid... And besides, sounds to me like you just jumped in to help your friends, this time at least." He chuckled. "So what would you say if I let you off with a strong warning? By strong I mean; you get in trouble again, there won't be a choice."

Lucas smiled widely. "I'd say you were about the nicest cop I ever met." He laughed. "Do you mean it?"

"Yes. But I'd advise you to stay out of trouble from now on." Lee warned.

"Thanks a lot, man-" Lucas caught himself, "sir..."

The cop laughed outright, "You're welcome. Be good now! He smiled at the group and headed over to Joey. After getting his information he let him off with an even stronger warning since he was over 18. He knew he probably should have arrested him legally but he figured they weren't all just out to cause trouble And since he did it for the rest of them he should do it for him too. Besides, the other group had completely gotten off, they didn't even get their names... And he himself wouldn't get in trouble for letting them off, in certain situations cops were allowed to use their own judgment.

Ten minutes later everyone had cleared out and Bradin and Lucas were helping Joey get back to his apartment. He had insisted they didn't take him to the hospital despite the protests of the paramedics. He could have made it home alone but the boys weren't taking any chances, and plus, the jocks hadn't finished their fight. They might ambush an injured opponent, Bradin had seen them do it many times before.

Once they arrived at Joey's, Lucas said he had to take off and get home. His mother had told him to be home at 6 today cause they were having company over for dinner and she wanted him there. It was already ten after and he didn't know what he was gonna say.

"See you guys tomorrow!" he called as he ran off.

"See ya, man!" Bradin called then helped Joey up the stairs.

"Stupid elevator's always out in this crap hole apartment complex..." Joey complained as they reached the third floor where his apartment was located.

"I got it from here..." Joey said as they got to his door. He was in a lot of pain, Bradin could tell, even if he wouldn't admit it. And wouldn't he be? After all, that guy had gotten him pretty bad before Lucas and he had beat him down.

"No, it's fine. Here, give me your key." Bradin unlocked the door and went in with Joey, pushing it shut behind them. "Now just sit down somewhere and I'll help you out before I leave. Trust me, I know how annoying it is to be in pain and trying to take care of yourself alone."

Joey's apartment was made up of four small rooms. The kitchen, where they headed, living room, bedroom and bathroom. The walls were all a beige color and though the place itself was a boring, Joey had done a pretty good job making it "cool" by having an awesome stereo system that brought teens and their CDs from every part of the city. Bradin liked it here. The furniture may have been secondhand, and just about everything else for that matter, but it was friendly and young, not like an old person's house. Plus, Joey had Guitar Hero, the stereo and, biggest perk, no parents. So everyone was cool with it and loved coming there to hang out.

"No, it's really fine, I'm okay-" Joey started but Bradin cut him off.

"I've been there, man, don't tell me that." Bradin laughed. "It's annoying as hell."

Joey shook his head, "I don't get it, I would think _you_ would be wanting to kick my ass as much as those jocks did..."

"You were honest, she was honest. Everything's okay. Forget it." Bradin said, wetting a towel to clean the blood off Joey's hand where it had been torn up when Billy stepped on it. Truth was, he _was_ mad, but he was really trying hard not to be, they had been friends for a while now and he didn't want to get in a fight with him over something he'd been guilty of doing himself.

"Yeah, but, I mean... I could've understood that attitude coming from you before but with Teresa you seem so much more... I don't know, you just.. love her. You're engaged to her, dude! And I really thought you were gonna be _pissed_ at me..." Joey almost seemed like he _wanted_ Bradin to be mad.

"Look, man." Bradin turned to Joey, who was sitting at the kitchen table. "If I got mad at you for kissing Teresa I'd be the biggest hypocrite to come out of Kansas! I mean, I've done that so many times in the past... And I couldn't get mad at you and not at Teresa... it takes two to do these things, you know? I mean, if you had _forced _her? Yeah, I'd be kicking your ass right out of California but you didn't. And you were honest with me about it. So just let it go. It's alright." Bradin came over to Joey and took his hand in the towel, trying to clean it off. Joey had all but cussed the paramedics out when they tried to take care of him so he was basically in the same shape he'd been when he was laying on the ground an hour earlier.

"If you're sure..." Joey agreed, "So we're cool then, man?"

"Yeah, we're cool." Bradin smiled and they did a fist-bump. "Now take this, I'm gonna see if you own any bandages. Which I doubt."

"Actually I do." Joey chuckled, "For this very reason..."

* * *

And there it is... ... ... ... review? Merci!

_Anna Christie_


	9. 8: Again And How!

**I do now own Summerland.**

**Hello again everyone! I was hoping for a few more reviews before I posted but oh, well! I just hope y'all are still reading! And now, to those who did review!**

**6Ellie6**, thanks! Lol! I do love fights –wink- I'm glad you liked the chapter!

**angel-prncess-18**, awesome, haha I love surprising people! But um... what exactly didn't you see coming? Bradin and Joey staying friends I'm taking it? There will be more Brae/Resa drama, trust me! Way more, hope you like the update!!

**ShiaLover09**, haha yelled at? I can't guarantee. Bradin's pissed? I can. But you shall see when you read! I hope you like this chapter! (PS I am beyond sorry for not reading your updates yet. I will, don't worry! I just have to find time. But soon!)

**Ash Riley**, no, it doesn't sound like it's gonna end up good lol Cheating never _does_ end up good! A very tangled web... check this ch out and tell me what you think!

**I have a little question... Um, nobody seemed to comment on ****anything ****in chapter 7 (Ooh, Baby) except Teresa hooking up with another guy! Haha I don't wanna sound like I'm whining or anything but I'd really like to know if y'all enjoyed the sweet Brae/Resa at the beginning, the Jay/Bradin/Nikki and the Teresa/Karen Coleman scenes. I mean, I'm absolutely, seriously not complaining (AT ALL) cause I am **_**so **_**glad y'all are reading and enjoying the story and that you're reviewing it but it **_**would **_**be nice to know how much y'all like my sort of 'one on one' nothing's really happening, filler, scenes cause it helps me know what to write in the future! Like, if the consensus is that y'all like 'em a lot, I'll put more such things, if it's that you don't, then I'll put less! So you know, let me know if you can/wouldn't mind! Thank you a million!! –hearts- (also, if this was like, complaining or anything, PLEASE let me know and I won't do it again!!)**

**Anywho, I hope this was soon enough to satisfy the one thing you all agreed on: "UPDATE SOON!" haha love y'all, enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter VIII**

_**Again... And How!**_

"That..."

"Was amazing." Jeremy Perkins finished for the 16-year-old, breathing heavy as he lay beside her.

"Should not have happened." Teresa corrected, wanting slightly to agree with him but refusing. "Couldn't have happened." She continued, "_Can't_ have happened! Oh my God, that did not just happen!"

"Whoa, what are you freaking out over?" Jeremy laughed lightly.

"Hello?! I'm _engaged_ for God's sake! Oh my God, why did you do that!?" Teresa half yelled.

"Hold up, slow down, I didn't rape you!" Jeremy said angrily, "Don't you dare try to blame this on me!"

Teresa realized he was right. As bad as she didn't want to admit it, this was as much her fault as it was Jeremy's. "You shouldn't have-"

"I shouldn't have what?" Jeremy interrupted. "Don't be stupid, Teresa Coleman. You cheated on your guy for some reason. Maybe you should figure out and face what that reason was." The 18-year-old got out of bed and threw on his clothes. "But just for the record..." he began, turning back to Teresa who was sitting up in bed, clutching a sheet tightly to her chest, "You can hit me _anytime_, baby!" That smirk-smile of his had returned to his lips as he said it making Teresa sick. He laughed at the look she gave him and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

Teresa realized suddenly that she was shaking and on the verge of tears. She quickly got dressed and hurried into the bathroom to fix her hair and then she was gonna get the hell out of there! She passed a clock on her way and her breath caught in her throat. Damn it, it was already ten after six! She was supposed to be home at 6:30pm! Great, her mom was gonna have her head.

She rushed down the stairs two at a time and yelled out to Sarah, who was in the kitchen, "I gotta go, my mom's gonna kill me if she's late and I have to watch my sister! I'll see you later!"

"Wait! I thought you and Bradin were - the door slammed shut - coming tonight." Sarah finished, laughing slightly.

Running to try and make it home before her mom was really pissed at her, Teresa couldn't even think about what had just happened between her, an engaged woman, and Jeremy Perkins, a ladies man who didn't give a damn about how she felt. She couldn't believe she had just let him have that. And what's worse, she cheated on Bradin. On her Bradin. The man she loved. She _loved _him, for God's sake what was wrong with her?! Okay, so apparently she _could_ think about it. "Oh my God..." she murmured, the reality of it all kept hitting her over and over again.

Whoa! She stopped short bumping into a girl her age. She quickly recognized the face. "Amber, hey..." she was out of breath and still a little ways from her house. "I'm sorry, I didn't see you..."

"It's okay, where you goin' so fast, anyway?"

"I'm late getting home, my mom's gonna kill me. She's going on a date tonight and wants me to watch Lillian."

"Well come on then! Cause I gotta tell you something!"

Teresa tried to smile as she started running again, Amber by her side, she didn't know what to do. There was no way she was telling a _soul_ what she had just done but... Amber _was_ her best friend. Beside Bethany back in South Carolina. No, she wasn't telling! But she was sure Amber would sense something was up with her... she just knew it! No, she would just have to make sure she didn't-

"Reese? What's going on? You missed everything I just said!" Amber laughed, but she was concerned.

So much for that one. "Nothing, gotta hurry!" she said, still out of breath.

Amber decided to drop it till they got to Teresa's house.

Arriving at her front door Amber looked at her cell phone, "It's five till seven , is she gonna be mad?"

"Probably." Teresa fixed her clothes and tried to look composed as she opened the door. Stepping into the foyer she heard laughing coming from the living room. She cringed. Her mother's date must be there already. What was his name again? Umm...

"I'll wait in your room." She heard Amber whisper then head up the stairs quietly but quickly.

Entering the living room Teresa saw her mother, dressed in a fashionable, yellow summer dress that complimented her curves beautifully. She wore white sandals and her hair was done up in a cute style with two strands hanging down by her ears. A man sat on the couch next to her mother, Teresa assumed this was old-what's-his-face who's name she couldn't remember. The man rose politely when Teresa entered and she smiled, politely and nothing more.

"Teresa, there you are! Quick, let me show you something Rachel sent me today before I leave. You're gonna love it!" She stood up, "Excuse us a second, Sean." She said, turning back to him. He smiled, "Of course."

That was his name. Sean. How plain. How boring. How un-

"Teresa?" Karen Coleman waved a hand in front of her daughter's face.

"Oh, sorry." she said, embarrassed, and quickly followed her mother out of the room and upstairs.

"It's this antique lamp from Turkey that she found while she was in..."

Teresa wasn't really hearing anything her mother said. She was too wrapped up in thoughts of what's-his- oh yeah, _Sean_, and what she had done not one hour ago.

"Teresa?" Karen actually looked worried. "Are you okay, dear? I don't believe you heard a word I said the whole way up."

"I'm really sorry... I've just got a lot on my mind... I um.. got in a fight with Bethany." Teresa lied, quickly trying to think of some excuse.

"Oh, I'm sorry, honey. I'm sure you two will make up though, you've been best friends since forever!" Karen smiled, "Just the same, I'll show you the lamp later. And I guess that's why you're late getting home?"

Teresa nodded. She couldn't believe herself. She gets drunk for the first time today, cheats on her boyfriend for the first time today, lies to her mother for the first time today, and what a lie! Bringing Bethany into this... God, what was this? The day you accomplished that old saying, "There's a first time for everything"?

"Well, I'm not mad then, I thought if you had just been careless and forgotten..." Karen waved the thought aside with her hand. "Forget it though. But I'd really appreciate you watching Lillian while I go out."

"Of course, Mom." Teresa tried to smile.

"Thank you, honey. And if you need to talk I'll be home by 1 at the latest, do you think you'll still be up?"

Teresa nodded, "Probably."

"Alright. But don't _wait up _if you're wanting to go to bed earlier. I love you, I'll let you meet Sean some other time, it's obvious you're upset." She gave her daughter a kiss on the forehead. "Lillian's in her playpen in the living room, you won't forget her will you?" she laughed.

"No, of course not!"

"Good. I'll see you later." With that she headed back downstairs and a minute later Teresa heard her mother call up, "We're leaving now, honey, call me if you need anything!"

"Okay!" she called back right before the door shut. "I will..." she added in a whisper, tears now filling her eyes. Her mother saw that she was upset. Even acknowledged it and yet, she still goes off like everything's just Jim-dandy! How dare she! How dare she _believe_ Teresa about having had a fight with Bethany! She knew they didn't fight. Ever. How dare she- "Ah!" Someone touched Teresa on the shoulder. She swung around. "Oh my God! Amber..." she put a hand to her heart and breathed deeply. "I forgot you were here..."

"Wow... something is _definitely_ on your mind, girl! Wanna talk about it?" Amber asked, concern in her voice.

"Um... not right now anyway..." she didn't even bother trying to deny that there was something on her mind. She knew there was no way it was going to work anyway. Not with Amber. She already knew Teresa too well.

"Okay... well, how 'bout I tell you what I saw today!

"Okay." Teresa smiled, she was glad Amber wasn't pushing the subject.

Heading downstairs the two girls checked on Lilly, who was playing with a Micky The Mouse stuffed animal... er... chewing on it. After making sure she was okay the teens sat down in the kitchen with a box of Donuts Teresa's mother had left her to snack on and two glasses of milk.

"So I was out and about town today, right? And I'm just walking along when I come to Andy's Music Store, right? And there's this huge crowd gathered watching a fight." Amber said animatedly.

"Who was it?" Teresa wanted to know. Even with her mind elsewhere she was curious.

"It was four jocks, Billy, that tall guy, Harry?"

Teresa nodded.

Amber continued. "And that player, Gary and some guy I didn't know. And the guys fighting them were Joel Smith, Tim Burton, Joey Marvin - Teresa cringed inside at the mention of his name because it made her remember that this made twice she had cheated on Bradin, even if it was only making out the first time - and your finance!" Amber finished with a flourish of her right hand.

"Oh my God, what were they fighting about, do you know?"

"Yeah. Well, what I heard form Lucas anyway ha, ha, but hold on! Let me finish."

"Okay."

"So they were fighting and we were all watching and cheering and stuff when Lucas comes up and he like, noticed Bradin and immediately got in on it. Good thing too, cause Billy was beating the life out of Joey and probably woulda' kept it up if Lucas and Bradin hadn't tackled him."

"Bradin helped save Joey?"

"Yeah." Amber smiled, "I guess he's really okay about it, Reese." She knew Teresa was thinking Bradin was pissed at Joey. "So anyway, the cops showed up right about then and I ran off with the rest of the crowd but later I ran into Lucas on his way home. He said he and Bradin had helped Joey get home and that Bradin was still with him when he left. He said Joey refused the paramedic's help so they got him home and he figured Bradin was gonna stay and clean him up."

Teresa looked a little shocked, "I guess he really _is_ okay about it then... But what was the fight even about?"

"Lucas said that Bradin said that Joel had called him over to help them fight and said they were gonna fight because the jocks were dissing all their girls. Including you. Harry had called you a whore and said you slept with Joey... Well Joey came up right then and Bradin asked him, point blank, 'Did you fuck my girl, man?' And Joey told him what happened and he said, 'Okay then' and the fight started. So it was over their girls..." Amber giggled, "I wish I had a guy who would fight to defend my honor!"

"Oh my God..." tears suddenly sprang from Teresa's eyes.

"Oh my gosh, what did I say, girl? Are you okay?" Amber jumped up and came around to table to give her friend a hug.

"You didn't say anything..." Teresa sniffed, trying to stop crying, "It's- it's just that Bradin..."

"What? Girl, you can tell me anything!" Amber was genuinely concerned.

"He's just... he's so good to me and yet... yet I can do that to him!!" Teresa could barely talk for crying.

"What? Making out with Joey? Girl, he's okay-"

"No!! I did worse..."

Amber decided she'd better calm Teresa down first which she succeeded in doing after about 3 minutes. "Now, what are you saying?"

"Amber, you promise you won't tell anyone this... not _anyone_?" Teresa asked, nervous.

"I promise, now tell me." Amber sincerely promised.

Taking a deep breath Teresa said in a whisper, "I- I... I slept with... Jeremy Perkins earlier... tonight... I..." the 16-year-old burst into sobs and quit trying to talk.

* * *

**There it be! Thoughts, specifics, loved it, hated it, ****anything****, I wanna hear it! So... hit that beauTIful little review button! Teehee Thank you! (ps sorry it wasn't that long, there are longer ones coming later!)**

_Anna Christie_


	10. 9: The Poor Little Phone

**I do not own Summerland.**

**Hey, y'all! Here we go, round 11 of the shout outs! )**

**This chapter is for you, BJ, if you're still reading! Cause I know how much you said you liked Bradin/Derrick so here's that more I promised you back in like, chapter 4! Hpe you liek it, assuming you ARE stil reading I mean! If not, well, then, I just talked to the air... er... screen... er... whatever! :P**

**froggy2045**, hey, thank you so much! I always enjoy your reviews!! (not that I don't everyone else's too, of course! Lol But you always seem to maybe see things they didn't or something anyway enough blabbing) Awesome! I was hoping somebody would notice my fight scene and that I think I did it really well. (I'm used to writing fights though because I first started writing mystery/action when I was younger, so yeah lol Glad you liked it and all!!) And yeah, I wanted to show that Bradin wasn't going to hold this against Joey. Or Teresa I mean. But like, some guys will forgive the girl then stay pissed at the guy so yeah... Anywho, I shall shut up now and let you read!! Hope you love it!

**angel-prncess-18**, thanks! Haha was it intense? I think I've forgotten what happened in it cause I've been busy writing higher chapters, like, 14 I think lol anywho, let me see... she told Amber, right? Yeah. Lol I wrote it and don't remember... lol oh, well, anyway... OH, wait, she didn't sleep with Joey. Just Jeremy. Fyi, cause you said "and teresa sleeping with ANOTHER guy" But anyway, glad you liked it and hope you like this ch just as much!! And smooth road? Doubt it! –winks- Keep reading, girl!

**6Ellie6**, cheating problem... hmmm... is that right?? Lol Thanks, glad you liked the fight too lol! I enjoyed writing it so it's great to see my readers enjoyed reading it!! Hope you like the chapter! I have a feeling you will... )

**ShiaLover09**, haha yeah, 2 different guys... ... ... No, he won't. But who would? Or will he... read! Haha Teresa's deal? Well... let me see if I can explain this... –thinks real hard- nope, couldn't do it!! lol You'll just have to keep reading and see if we figure that out, myself included! –winks- I wouldn't LOOK another guy either, I mean, geez, Bradin's like, a fairytale guy! Lol in my stories he is anyway... –shrug- anywho, no, I didn't realize he was a director, I know it now that you said, I mean, but it didn't catch with me when I wrote it... oh, well. And thank you! I'm glad I didn't sound whiney or anything! Hmm everyone wants to know Bradin's reaction!? WHY?? Lol jk jk jk, Don't worry, if she tells him, y'all will read it! Lol Sorry, i'm feeling silly today, anywayz, hope you like this ch!! (yes, I WILL read your chapters eventually. I just need to find time AND not be lazy when I do get a minute lol I'm really sorry like I said. I feel bad with you being so loyal reading this one and me not reading yours...) Noooo don't stop talking! Lol Yay, I got the longest review Mary's ever given out, I got the longest review Mary's ever given out- stop? Oh, okay... –blush, hide- I think it's time for ME to stop talking, enjoy!

**Ash Riley**, yeah, she's only 16. Still not much of an excuse though... but we'll see where this takes us, no? Or you guys will, I already know of course lol! Awe, thanks. Only, I think my "Jay" isn't like the "real Jay" from the show was... am I right? I really never saw many episodes... Mostly I just started reading/writing fanfiction and read a few "scripts" to the show. You know, where somebody transcribed the episodes to text... anywayz, hope you like this chapter!!

**Ah, this just in! Lol! **

**StrawberryCheeseCak3,**, (your review for chapter 7:) yeah, if ONLY there were more guys like him... Have I created the impossible to find man? –cries—nooo, no wait! Nick Jonas. –eyes get big and dreamy- AnyWAY. HA HA you got arrested for riding in a shopping cart!? I'd have at least flipped the dang cop off to have a REAL reason for him to arrest me!! Lmao But yeah, on to your review for last chapter! Really? Well I'm glad you like her mom then! Lol Everyone's asking me that! And I can't figure out why... hahahaha Yeah, could it be because I've created the ultimate "Cheaters" candidate!? No, wait, she admits it. Never mind. Aww, thank you so much!! Phenomenal, huh? I really, really appreciate you saying that. It means so much and I'm so glad you liked that! I hope I continue to be able to get those strong emotions and all across right! Luv ya, enjoy!!

**Whew, kay! -wipes brow- kidding, I don't mind! I love a lot of big reviews!! Now, you all agreed on this one thing, besides update soon, lol, and that was; "Teresa's crazy and I can't wait to see what Bradin says!" lol So I feel I should tell you this... you'll see- actually, I don't think I will say that! Enjoy the chapter!!**

* * *

**Chapter IX**

_**And The Poor Little Phone Didn't Even Do Anything!**_

"Wow." was all Amber managed immediately. "Oh, wow..." at that moment her phone rang. "Just a sec." She said to Teresa and answered the phone, "Hey, Mom. Hmm? Oh. Okay... I'm at Teresa's. Yes, Ma'am. Okay... Okay, no, it's fine.. I mean, I was talking to her but I'm sure she'll understand... uh huh... I know, okay. No, really, it's okay, Mama, I understand. I'll be there in a few- oh, okay. See _you _in a few. That's right, bye." She flipped the phone shut and looked at Teresa with apologetic eyes. "I'm so sorry, my mom's sister, Tina, was in a car accident and my mom wants to go to the hospital so I have to go home and watch my little brother..."

"Bring him here!" Teresa suggested.

"Hey, that's an idea." she called her mother back and suggested it. "Okay... sound good, thanks, Mom! See you in a sec then, bye!"

"She'll be here any second. She was already near here, and of course she had my brother. So she said that was fine. Better actually, cause that way she can just go straight to the hospital from here." Amber smiled. A horn honked out front and Amber hurried outside.

A minute later she returned to the kitchen. "I told Trent he could watch TV, is that okay? It's just Disney."

"That's fine." Teresa said.

"And I told him to keep an eye on Lilly for us." Amber added. Trent was 10 and he looked just like his sister with dark hair and sharp features. Teresa had once told him he was going to be a handsome young man one day and he had gagged making her laugh and say, "You will, just wait."

"Okay, good, thanks." Teresa looked at the hard surface of the white table the two teenage girls sat at.

Amber smiled, "Now..."

"Yeah... I don't know... I don't know why... if that's what you were gonna say or something..." Teresa admitted.

"I don't know what I was gonna say, actually..." Amber said quietly. "I was just... I don't know... I really don't know _what_ to say, girl..."

Teresa remained mute.

After about three minutes of listening to each other breathe Teresa stood up suddenly, "Let's do something else..." she suggested, wanting more then anything to get away from the ever lingering, awkward silence that hung thickly in the air.

"Okay." Amber agreed readily. She couldn't think of _one_ thing to say to Teresa and she hated awkward moments of quiet.

The girls decided on a movie marathon at Trent's suggestion. The only catch was that they had to watch Disney Movies. But they didn't really mind. Teresa put in the code for their On Demand and let Trent pick the first movie. He decided on The Shaggy Dog which was a cute movie that Teresa actually liked but tonight, didn't even seem to see. Her mind was entirely too cluttered to concentrate on anything so simple as a movie. Even when they put on the next one, which was one of Teresa's favorites, Freaky Friday, she couldn't watch it. Not really. Sure, she stared at the screen and laughed when the others did but none of it was real. She wasn't _seeing_ the screen and she had no clue what she was laughing at when she did. All she could think of was what Bradin was going to do to her when he found out. And he would find out, she just knew it. No, not what he was going to _do_ to her. What he was going to _say_ to her... or not say. Or both. Or how he was going to look at her... how hurt he was going to be... She couldn't believe what she had done to him and-

"Your phone is ringing, Teresa!!" Amber all but shouted in her friend's face.

Teresa jumped back to reality with a blush and grabbed it off the coffee table. It was Bradin. She cringed and hit "reject."

Amber said nothing but seemed to have noticed her cringe and, quite obviously, her absence from reality only moments ago. Still, she didn't know what to say so she said nothing. She and Teresa could talk later... when they'd both had time to think... separately.

Right before the movie was over Amber's mother called to tell her that their uncle was on his way to pick them up. She'd like it if Amber would keep her phone on all night too, please, thank you. I love you guys, call me if you need anything. And goodnight After Amber hung up she told Trent to put on his shoes and she went to Teresa's room to get her purse.

Heading back down she met Teresa in the foyer talking to her uncle Thomas. "Hey..." she smiled, "How's Tina?"

"I'll tell you later." Her uncle said quickly as Trent joined them.

"Bye, girl," Amber gave Teresa a hug and whispered into her ear, "Call me if you need to talk, okay? Don't hesitate and don't look at the clock."

"Thanks, girl... I will." Teresa smiled, touched by Amber caring so much.

Just as the three down the front walk Bradin Westerly walked up the front walk.

"Hey, Bradin..." Amber smiled and hurried on with her uncle before he could reply.

Puzzled, Bradin continued up to the door and knocked on it 4 times.

"Did you forget - Teresa swung the door open wide and stopped short – something..." she finished, her face taking on a tiny hint of nervousness.

"Hey, babe..." Bradin grinned at his girlfriend. "May I come in?" he cocked his head, thinking how Teresa hadn't wrapped him in a hug and pulled him into the house with her.

"Actually, Brae, I'm kinda just gonna... um... watch a little TV then head up to bed... and I have to clean up the kitchen and living room so..." Teresa tried to make it sound like she couldn't have anybody over. "But I'll see you tomorrow." She added, seeing him look sad and wanting to brighten him back up.

"Well, I could just chill with you till you were ready to go to sleep and then I'd leave..." Bradin suggested not wanting to leave now that he had finally gotten Teresa alone for a change.

"No, Brae... just... just go to Sarah's like we had planned or something. I mean, I'm busy and besides, I have to get Lillian to bed and all... I'll just see you tomorrow." Teresa faked a smile that appeared real to Bradin, at least she _hoped _it did.

Bradin didn't look convinced. "But Reese, I could help you with Lilly-" By this time they were in the foyer, the door pushed half shut.

"No!" She said sternly. Oops... that came out sharper then she meant it to. "I- I mean, no, that's okay." She smiled again. "It's okay, you just go have fun! I'll see you tomorrow. Really, it's fine." With that she turned around and hurried into the kitchen mumbling something about a pie in the oven.

Bradin didn't believe a word she said. Except about the pie. He smelled that. Cherry he was pretty sure. Thinking for a minute he decided on something. She was expecting him to leave... "Okay, bye then..." he called, making his voice sound like he was trying to be cheerful but was upset. Then, he opened the door and shut it so it sounded like he left, then hurried silently upstairs and into her room where he made up his mind to wait for her, even if that wasn't until late. He could find something to do...

Whew! She thought he'd never leave. "Coming, Lillian!" she called as her sister started wailing. Setting down the pie plate, something she and Amber had decided to make halfway through Freaky Friday, she turned off the oven and hurried into the living room to hush Lillian's crying. As she took Lillian upstairs to change her and put her to bed she passed the clock her mother, for some odd reason, kept on the wall halfway up the staircase. It was already midnight... her mom would be home in a hour at the latest... joy.

After putting Lillian to bed the teen headed back downstairs and into the kitchen where she cut a piece of pie and poured herself a glass of milk. Sitting down at the table she ate in silence and listened to it echo back at her from the empty house. This was not the way her life used to be... her father and brother were loud as hell and her mother used to be so lively! God, she hated silence. Why had she made Bradin go away- oh, yeah! "YOU CHEATED ON HIM, REMEMBER?!" She screamed at herself internally. Yes, she remembered. Oh, how she wished she didn't. Why did she have to have _sobered_ already when she did that!? Couldn't she have been drunk? Her phone ringing startled her. It was a text from Bradin. _"When r u going to bed?"_ it asked.

"_I dk... y?" _she sent back

"_Just wondering cause I'm bored all alone up here."_ was the reply.

"_What the heck r u talking bout? All alone up where?"_ what _was_ he talking about?

"_In ur room. It's boring w/o u."_

"Oh, my God!" Teresa gasped aloud. She put the pie in the fridge and put her dishes in the sink and hurried towards the stairs only to be met by her mother coming through the front door and looking giddy.

"Resa! I had a wonderful time-" the woman stopped short, sniffing the air. "Mmm... what smells so good?"

"Cherry pie, I just put it in the fridge. Amber and I made it, and yes, before you ask, I remembered to put sugar in it." She smirked, jokingly. "I'd love to stay and chat but I'm really tired. It's been a long night. Amber and her little brother were here till midnight." She said, "I'll tell you about it tomorrow, okay?"

"Sure, sweetie! You get some sleep. Is everything okay with Amber though?"

"Yeah, her mom's sister was in an accident and her mother wanted to stay at the hospital with her so Amber, who had to watch her brother, just stayed here with him till their uncle got them a little while ago." Teresa faked an it's-all-okay-though-and-I'm-really-tired smile.

"Okay, well, goodnight, honey! I love you." Karen kissed her daughter's forehead and gave her a pat on the back, sending her on up the stairs.

"Love you too, Mom, goodnight." Teresa hurried up the stairs and into her room to find that, sure enough, Bradin was there. He was laying on her bed doing something on his phone. He looked up when she opened the door and smiled a grin that seemed to tilt sideways on his face. "You didn't think I believed you, did you?" he asked, smiling a smirk-ish little grin "Come on, baby, I know you better then that!"

"Oh, my God, Bradin! You have to get out of here before my mom finds you!" Teresa said, starting to freak out. She wished her mother didn't exist right then. Bradin looked so damn sexy laying there on her bed... if she could just crawl into it with him, lay her head on his chest, close her eyes and fall asleep- "Stop it!" she chided herself.

"How's she going to find me?" Bradin kept his voice low so she wouldn't _hear_ him.

Lowering her own voice and stepping closer to Bradin she said, "She might come in here!"

"So lock the door! She'll just think you forgot to unlock it before you went to bed, won't she?"

"Well... yeah, probably... I do actually do that a lot... But I don't know... what about Jay?" Teresa couldn't

even believe herself! She couldn't just stand there and act like nothing was different after she had _cheated_ on him.

"Pssh!" Bradin brushed it off, "Jay doesn't know where I am. Nor does he care so long as I stay out of trouble. And besides, if he's looking for me, he knows my cell phone number! It's not like I'd ignore him if he called. It's fine" he smiled one of his easy going smiles. "I really wanna spend some time with you, Reese... I've been missing you."

That was it. "Oh, Bradin..." Teresa burst into sobs and her knees hit the floor. Bradin rushed over, knelt beside her and engulfed her in his arms saying, "Shh... Baby, what's wrong?" This only made Teresa's tears more numerous.

A minute later her door burst open, her mother stepped in, noticed Bradin and stopped short. "Teresa?"

Gasping, Teresa jerked her head towards her door. "Oh, Mom..."

"You didn't tell me Bradin was-" her mother started, sounding very disapproving. Not so much that he was there but that Teresa hadn't told her.

"She didn't know I was here." Bradin interrupted the woman before she could finish. "I came over earlier and she told me to leave and I pretended to but went up to her room to wait for her to come up cause I just really felt like something was up and wanted to talk to her. I'm really sorry." he finished his explanation with an apology.

"I see." Mrs. Coleman didn't seem mad but she didn't seem okay with it either. "Teresa?" the woman prompted her daughter's story.

Teresa nodded. "I didn't know he was up here... and when I came up he- he said something that just... I don't know... set off the water works for me, I guess..." the teenager laughed through her tears, trying to sound nonchalant. "Stupid PMS..." Teresa stood up, not even caring that she had just said that in front of her boyfriend- _financé,_ followed by Bradin and wiped the tears from her eyes, smiling at her mother. "I'm sorry I scared you..."

Her mother smiled slightly. "Well, I think maybe Bradin should just come see you tomorrow..."

"Yeah, of course, I'm sorry." Bradin agreed quickly, not wanting to do anything to make Teresa's mother mad at him. "I'll call you, baby." He gave Teresa a kiss on the cheek and whispered something he didn't want Karen to hear. "Call me later, okay? And if you don't, I'll assume something's wrong and show up here."

Teresa gave a quick smile. She really wished he'd let this whole thing go... damn, why did he have to be so good to her?

He nodded and smiled at Karen on his way out Teresa's bedroom door, saying, "Goodnight, Karen." Something, to his delight, she had _insisted_ he call her.

"Goodnight, Bradin." Karen smiled back, "Would you please lock our door when you leave?"

"Yes, Ma'am." Bradin hurried downstairs and out the door.

"Teresa..." Mrs. Coleman started, after she heard the front door shut.

"Honest, Mom, I didn't know he was up here-"

"That's not what I was going to say, honey. I'm not really mad about that. I can tell Bradin was just worried about you." Karen smiled, "He's a wonderful boy and I believe he genuinely respects you. So I'm not worried about that. What I was going to say was that there _does_ seem to be 'something up' with you, as Bradin put it."

Teresa faked a smile. "No, there's nothing 'up with me,' honestly." There she went lying to her mother again.

"Are you sure, honey? Because you know you can come to me with anything-"

"No, really. I'm fine. Just... mood swings.. you know, PMS..."

Karen raised one eyebrow, "I thought that was last week?"

For a split second Teresa looked nervous but she quickly put her front back up, smiled and said, "No, it's this week." Strike three.

"Okay..." her mother seemed skeptical but let it go, "Well, you get some sleep, okay? I love you." Karen kissed her daughter's forehead.

"I love you too." Teresa said as her mother left the room. Shutting and locking her bedroom door the 16-year-old pushed her head back, pulling her hair with both hands. "Oh, my God, I can't keep this up much longer... What do I do!?" she asked the ceiling. Damn thing wouldn't answer her.

Stripping to her panties, Teresa went over to her dresser, pulled out a pink tank top, threw it on, grabbed her cell phone from the pocket of her jeans, that now lie crumpled on the floor, unlocked her door, turned off her light and slipped under the covers ready for dreamland to take her away for a few hours before she had to face her harsh reality again.

She knew she'd better text Bradin or he really would show up at her house! She sent a message and curled up waiting for his reply.

--

Bradin opened his eyes, his phone was vibrating. It was a text from Teresa. _"Hey, everything's cool, gonna sleep now, k? Night!"_

"_U sure, ur ok?"_ Bradin sent back. He was laying in bed, having decided against any partying that night. It felt weird to be home this early. Though most people wouldn't consider half past 1 early but when you party every night till 4, you do.

There was a full moon tonight. It shone brightly in through the windows and played out across the floor and Bradin's bed giving the room a feeling he hadn't felt in a long time. The way the room was lighted slightly and everything was still and quiet made it seem like he was back home in Kansas. It seemed like the moon was always shining there. And if it wasn't the moon, God, the stars were breathtaking. How many you could see... but not in southern CA... He sighed quietly.

"Brae?"

Surprised to hear his little brother's voice this late, Bradin sat up and looked across the room. Because of the full moon he could tell that Derrick's eyes were open but he couldn't make out any facial expressions. "Yeah, D?" he asked.

Silence.

"You alright?" Bradin said quietly, concerned.

Derrick made a little sound in his throat that Bradin could tell meant he was trying not to cry. "Never mind... I don't know."

Bradin saw him roll over and face the wall. "D, if you need to talk about something... I'm all ears, okay?"

"'Kay." Derrick agreed.

Silence again fell over the room. Bradin's phone vibrated again. _"Sweet dreams, Brae."_

"_Ur not ok."_ Bradin stated in his reply. _"Babe, tell me what's going on. I hate knowing there's something wrong but not being able to help..."_

"_Goodnight."_ Was all he got as a response.

He was frustrated. Why wouldn't she tell him what was up! Okay, so his girlfriend and his little brother were upset yet neither of them would come to him. That seriously bugged the crap out of him but he didn't know what he could do about it..._ "Ok, don't tell me but I'm here, u know that, right? I love you."_

He lay awake for the next hour. He wasn't even thinking. He was just... awake. His phone was again vibrating and he quickly looked at the screen. Teresa had sent a message. _"Brae, would u think I was being cold if I told u something serious by text?"_

"_I dk... How serious?"_

"_I just want u to know that I'm not afraid to tell u in person but I can't sleep w/ it on my mind."_ She replied, ignoring his question. _"And this probably won't even help me sleep but I have to tell u... it's eating me up from the inside out the longer I know u don't know... And, baby, I am too sorry to even say so. I don't think you'd believe me if I did anyway... so here it is, w/o any lies, point blank, bluntness: I... cheated on you... again."_ It killed her to admit it, like that somehow made it truer then it already was. She was glad it was over text message and not in person cause she didn't know if she could bare to see the pained look she knew would wash over his face any second now. But she _would_ have. Just like she told him, she wasn't _afraid_ to... she was just glad it happened this way. With a trembling thumb she pressed the button that would send her secret less then a mile away for her fiancé to see.

"_I... cheated on you... again."_ Bradin's heart jerked and it hurt him. He didn't quite know what to do. No words – well okay, there were definitely some words, of shock, of course, but nothing he wanted to say – came to mind and he didn't really feel anything... yet. Then he was angry. All of a sudden he was very, very angry. Throwing his phone across the room he heard it hit something, presumably the door, as he shouted, "Damn it!"

"Bradin!?" Derrick sat up in bed.

"I'm so sorry, D..." Bradin said, truly sorry. "I kinda... um... didn't realize you were asleep over there..." he mumbled, sinking further under the covers, not wanting to face what Teresa had just told him. How could she do that?

"I wasn't asleep. Are you okay?" Derrick asked, genuinely concerned about his older brother.

"I'm fine. Thanks, though..." Bradin tried to speak as though he was smiling but he was _not _smiling. "Are _you_ okay?" he added, turning the question around on Derrick, sensing that something was bothering him. After all, he had just said he wasn't asleep and he had been awake over an hour ago too. And probably the whole time in-between, just like Bradin had...

"Huh- uh..." Derrick replied, but Bradin thought he heard him sigh.

"You sure, buddy?" Bradin really wasn't used to Derrick being around. He'd been gone since the summer started and had only gotten home yesterday. He wondered if anything had happened to upset him while he was gone. Then it hit him. He had been back in Kansas. That was something Bradin had had the choice to do also but had refused because he knew it would just kill him. It would hurt too much so soon. It had only been a year. Nikki had also declined, though very politely, the invitation to visit their aunt and uncle back home. Bradin didn't _know_ if that was why she had said no but he strongly assumed it was.

"Um... if you tell me what's wrong with you, I'll tell you what's wrong with me?" Derrick proposed an idea, interrupting his older brother's thoughts.

"I don't know if you wanna know what's wrong with me..." Bradin did smile this time, thinking how his 9-year-old brother cared so much and yet, it probably wouldn't make any sense to him.

"Awe, come on, you don't have to say everything or whatever, just tell me why you cussed your phone out!" Bradin could tell Derrick was grinning even though he couldn't see his face in the dim moonlight..

Sitting up, Bradin climbed out of bed and found his phone on the floor by their bedroom door. It still worked fine, to which he let out a sigh of relief. "Aunt Ava wouldn't have liked me tearing this thing up much..." he murmured. His aunt had agreed to get the kids cell phones for some extra chores they did every other week and he knew she'd be ticked if he broke it cause he was mad. "Okay, D," Bradin said, coming over and sitting on the floor by his brother's bed. His back to the edge of the bed, he leaned his head back and closed his eyes, "You tell me first."

"No fair! How's that work?" Derrick asked, feeling that _Bradin_ should go first.

"I asked you over an hour ago, now get on it!" Bradin grinned.

"Fine... but you have to promise not to think anything-"

"You know me better then that, D." Bradin stopped him before he could even say it. "I would never, ever, ever think anything of you no matter what you did or thought or felt or anything, okay? And I want you to always remember that too." Bradin said, this time opening his eyes and looking at Derrick. His little brother nodded and looked down, saying lowly, "I guess it was just... Mom and Dad... you know... I miss them."

"I miss them too." Bradin said, equally as quiet. He admired Derrick for being able to keep his voice steady even though he was really upset, Bradin could tell. "Something make you think of them, buddy?" he asked, turning his head to the side to face his brother. Derrick nodded, still looking down. "The way the room felt tonight, with the moon, wasn't it?"

Derrick looked up, surprised. "Did you... feel them here then, Brae? I did-" he cut off, realizing he hadn't been planning on saying that.

Bradin smiled and nodded. "Hey, it's okay, D..." he got up and sat down on Derrick's bed, wrapping him in a hug. "It's okay for you to miss them. So does Nik and I just told you I did... it's okay." He rocked his younger brother back and forth for a minute, comforting him, knowing exactly how he felt. "And it's normal to feel them here... you know why?"

Derrick shook his head, trying not to full-out cry but not being able to help a few tears escaping his eyes.

"Because they are. They're right here with you..." Bradin touched Derrick's chest, "Inside your heart, D. And I know that is like, _the_ most cliché thing in the world and I always hated it and didn't believe it but... since moving out here I know it's true." He seemed to be talking to himself as well as Derrick.

"And they'll always be there? In my heart, Brae?" Derrick asked, hopeful.

Bradin smiled. "Yes. Always. I promise."

"They're with you and Nik, too, right? Like, after somebody's not here anymore they can be in more places at once... right?" Derrick tried to explain what he meant.

"Yes, D. They can be in five thousand places at once if they want to!" Bradin made an exaggerated sweep with his hand, still hugging Derrick with the other. He pulled him into his side and kissed his forehead without even thinking. "Now, go to sleep. Mom and Dad are right there in your heart and Nikki and I are right here with you. We're all with you and we always will be, okay? So don't you worry about that!"

"Okay." Derrick gave a little smile then added thoughtfully, "You're just like Daddy was..." he sunk down under the covers while Bradin pulled them up around his neck.

Bradin smiled. "Am I?" he asked. He wasn't exactly asking Derrick, he was just kind of... saying it.

"Yeah." Derrick whispered.

Bradin stood up and walked towards the door, "Sweet dreams, buddy. Maybe we can hang out tomorrow." He smiled. "Would you like that?"

"Yeah." Derrick smiled back. "You promise?"

"I'll do my very best." Bradin smiled. "Unless a meteor crashes on the beach I think I can pretty much guarantee. How's that?"

"That's good." Derrick laughed quietly.

Bradin nodded, "G'night, D."

"Goodnight..." Derrick yawned.

Bradin had his hand on the doorknob and was turning it when Derrick called out in a whisper, "Brae!"

Bradin turned around and faced him, "Yeah?"

"I'm glad."

Bradin smiled, he didn't have to ask, he knew what he meant. "Good." Whispering, he added, "I love you, D."

* * *

**Yes, indeed... Teresa's secret is out... ... ... ... What will Bradin do?? Find out in the next chapters of "Healing the Heart"- Okay, I'll stop now, promise. But y'all might wanna review, no? Peace! Oh, and y'all still don't know what Bradin's gonna say, do you?? Hmm. But, hey, at least you got his reaction! "damn it!" –phone goes flying- pahahaha love to all my peoples! Heart y'all!**

**PS I'll try not to be so wild and get carried away talking WAY too much next time, promise. I mean, you know, I promise I'll TRY! teehee**

_Anna Christie_


	11. 10: Yeah, That's What I'd Do

**I do not own Summerland. (as always -sigh-)**

**6Ellie6**, awe, thank you! I thought having him even say how it was cliché was a nice touch! And yeah, I took so long to write that ending part with Derrick and all cause I wanted it to be really sweet, glad to see if must have worked out!! ) Enjoy the update!

**Ash Riley**, haha, well... I would have er... yeah. Anyway, I'm glad you liked Brae/D scene! Aww-shucks? Lol love that!! Hope you like the update!!

**angel-prncess-18**, thank you! So glad you liked the Bradin/Derrick!! Yes, secret's out!... Enjoy the update!

**ShiaLover09**, cold, yes! But wouldn't you be a bit scared to tell him in person?? That was her angle... but you don't have to understand it, like, that just proves that I was able to create a "real" character. –big smile- So glad you liked the Brae/Derrick! OH, and Nik/Brae... you'll see, as I said! Hope you like the update!!

**froggy2045**, hey!! You're reviews are so great, haha, like, you noticed and mentioned Amber's mother's sister's wreck! Lovin' it, and yeah, sad but I kinda just... stuck it in there for some reason, it just hit me I guess! Lol Anywho, so, so glad you liked Bradin and Derrick talking and saw that about Brae. (controlling his emotions for his family if they're hurting) Yes, it would have hurt Bradin less had she told him in person, but I just had her do it that way... it seemed to add more drama! Lol I really hope you like this chapter, girl!!

**StrawberryCheeseCak3**, haha, thanks for the review, girl! I'm glad you liked it, enjoy this one!!

**K, the big question that most of y'all wanted to know was... "Will he forgive her again?" And the answer to that is... you'll see when you read!! What? You didn't think I was gonna ANSWER you, did you? Teehee –winks- Read and enjoy!!**

* * *

**Chapter X**

**_Yeah, That's What I'd Do...  
(I'd Do Anything... For You.)_**

Stepping into the darkened hall, Bradin closed his and Derrick's door and went to peak at his sister. He didn't know why, he had just felt like doing it and, since his parents' death, he didn't question feelings like that anymore. He just "obeyed" them, so to speak.

Pushing her door open quietly he saw... nothing. She wasn't in her bed or anywhere else in the room. He went in and shut the door. Sitting down on her bed he sent a text saying, _"Where r u!? It's almost 3."_

He wasn't really worried about her, just curious. He knew she'd been sneaking out just like him but somehow he hadn't realized that she was sneaking out and not even telling _him_ where she was going. Then again, he was usually already gone but then _again_ they did have cell phones. Nikki's reply was; _"I'm at Amber's and Jay knows. See, I'm not in trouble! –tongue- Now, shhh, the next movie's about to start. Love u, night."_

"_Ha, ha. Ok, u win. Love u too, night."_ Bradin sent back with a smile. But that didn't last. He laid back on Nikki's bed and shut his eyes. His head was so full of thoughts he felt it would bust. He had hoped she'd come home tonight... he wanted to talk to her. He did miss their mother. She was so easy to talk to... and she always seemed to truly understand. Nikki had gotten that. Nikki understood and was very easy to talk to... most of the time! But when she wasn't around she just wasn't around and Bradin hated that. After a minute he sat back up. Now here was something he'd never tried. _"Hey, Nik... I um... can I talk to u?"_ He wondered if she'd stop what she was doing to talk to him... to any of her family for that matter.

"_You can always talk to me, Brae. Give me a sec and I'll call u. Gotta get Amber to think I'm going to the bathroom, since she follows me everywhere else ha, ha... must have been the -cough- ALCOHOL SHERRY INSISTED ON BRINGING AND AMBER WOULDN'T STAY AWAY FROM!!"_ Nikki sent one of the longest texts Bradin had ever seen her send. But it was obvious she did this all the time by how fast she did it, just not with him. He laughed when he got it.

"_K, I'll wait for u to call. And thanks, Nik."_ Bradin's smile shone through his message.

"_Of course, big bro. You know I'm always here."_

About three minutes later his phone vibrated and, for once that night, it was an actual call. "Hey, Nik. Thanks for missing out on whatever you guys were doing..." he chuckled, "Whatever that was."

"It's fine, it was just a movie... And I hate Grease anyway. Unfortunately, the drunk Amber apparently _loves_ it." Nikki laughed, exasperated with the new personalities of her intoxicated friend. "But what's up? You're usually not even home yet!"

"Yeah... I don't know.. I just didn't feel like doin' anything tonight... worn out I guess." Bradin laughed slightly, "But now I'm starting to wish I'd gone out and gotten wasted..."

"Why? What's going on?" Nikki asked sounding both concerned and curious.

"Just a lot of shit..."

"Like what?" Nikki had long ago learned to be patient with Bradin because you literally had to _drag_ any and all information out of him. Unless he was in a certain mood, during which he would freely tell you just about anything.

"It's... Teresa." Bradin said, his voice filling with something Nikki couldn't decipher, without the added aid of a facial expression, just at the mention of her name. It almost seemed like he had trouble even saying it.

"What happened?"

Taking a deep breath Bradin flew into a string of sentences. "I went to her house earlier to see her, – here came that mood, thank God, Nikki was too tired to be dragging stuff out of him - the whole reason I skipped partying earlier actually, and she wouldn't have anything to do with me or anything! She practically kicked me out of her house after yelling at me when I tried to offer helping her clean up and watch Lillian. So, she went to the kitchen, thinking I was leaving, and I went to her room to wait for her to come up. When she did she wound up kneeling on the floor and crying for apparently, to me, no reason. Then her mom came up and Teresa claimed to be having 'female issues.' I left after that and, very long story short, after all but begging her to tell me what was up I got a text from her a little while ago saying that she had cheated on me... again." Bradin finished.

"Did you reply?" Nikki didn't seem fazed at all by this news. Just, simply, "Did you reply?" It irritated Bradin.

"No. I threw my phone against the wall and Derrick asked me what was up, I had forgotten he was there kinda..." Bradin chuckled remembering earlier. "Anyway, turns out he couldn't sleep and wanted to talk about missing Mom and Dad and after he did... I was tucking him in and telling him everything was okay to go on to sleep and he said..." here the teenage boy stopped.

"He said what, Brae?" Nikki asked quietly.

"He said I was just like Dad..." Bradin said, his voice a whisper. "Am I, Nik?"

Silence came over the other line. On Nikki's end a black Mustang whizzed by, followed in seconds by a cop car, siren screaming and lights flashing through the darkness.

"Nik?" Her sudden silence seemed to scare Bradin. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, nothing! Some drunk flying by with a cop on his tail... nothing's wrong." Nikki kept her voice cheerful but her heart was full of emotion, "So what about Teresa now?"

Bradin didn't say anything. She hadn't answered him. "I don't know." He said quietly, his voice not revealing anything.

"Well-" Nikki gasped suddenly, "Oh my God! Amber's mom is home!! She wasn't supposed to come home!! Oh my God, she's drunk! Amber, I mean. Oh my God, I have to get out of here. I have to go. I'm coming home, see you in a few minutes!" she started to hang up but Bradin caught her before she did.

"Wait! Alone?" he asked, a little concerned by the late hour.

"Damn it..." Nikki muttered. "Yeah, I'd rather Amber's mom didn't even know I was here... I can just get my backpack tomorrow or something... but it _is_ really late..."

"I'll come get you. Just chill somewhere near her place and I'll be right there, okay?"

"Okay, thanks, see you in a few. Call me when you're near here and I'll tell you where I am."

"Alright, bye." Bradin hung up the phone and hurried downstairs, he put his shoes on and quietly left the house, locking the front door behind him.

About fifteen minutes later he was close enough to see Amber's house. Every light, it seemed, was ablaze and he didn't wanna think about what kind of trouble Amber, or any of the other girls for that matter, were getting in. Lucky for Nikki she was outside when Amber's mom got home. He stopped walking and called his sister. "Hey, I can see her house, where are you?"

"I'm right here." Nikki replied, "Wait- I see you!"

"I see you too," Bradin laughed making Nikki laugh. She was leaning against a tree not ten feet in front of him. They hung up their phones, Nikki hurried to his and side and they moved quickly down the street, getting as far away from being anywhere near Amber's house as they could.

Silence settled over the brother and sister. It wasn't uncomfortable but it wasn't comfortable either...

Bradin finally broke it. Sighing he said, "Nik, I really, really don't know what to do about this crap with Teresa..." he wanted desperately to ask her why she hadn't said anything when he mentioned Derrick saying he was just like Dad but he didn't.

"I don't know for you... I'm sorry, Brae, I wish I could do something but I really don't know... Just, maybe you should talk to her..." Nikki started thinking out loud.

"I don't know what to say... I mean, really, what? 'Oh, it's okay, Reese, you can cheat if you want to! It's no problem!' or 'We're through and I don't even wanna hear it!' " Bradin gave an idea from each extreme.

Nikki couldn't help but laugh. "Sorry..." she mumbled when Bradin glared at her. "I didn't mean that, Brae... I meant something like.. .Oh, I don't know... _talk it through with her_? You know, ask her what the hell she was thinking!" Nikki wasn't all Dr. Phil.

Bradin sighed quietly. "I don't know... what to do." He added the last part in exasperation.

Nikki didn't say anything. How could Teresa do that to him!? A thought struck her. "Was she drunk?"

"Teresa doesn't get drunk." Bradin said, completely unaware that she had been drunk that very morning of all times.

"I didn't know... I didn't think so but I didn't know." Nikki said quietly. That blew that one.

"Why?! _God, why_!?" Bradin asked the air, anger and frustration clearly visible in his voice. Nikki didn't even attempt an answer, knowing he wasn't talking to her.

Silence fell over the two once more and lingered there until they reached their own front door. Bradin dug in his pocket for a key. "Damn it... I left it in my other pants... Don't you have a key?" he asked, turning to Nikki.

Nikki groaned, "In my backpack! At Amber's!!"

Bradin laughed in spite of the situation. "Well, this is hilarious."

"Very." Nikki said dryly. She sat down on the step. "Oh, well, we're stuck here for the night. Unless you wanna go wake up Jay..."

"No way. Don't wanna explain how we managed to get locked out of our own house." Bradin said, sitting down next to his sister.

"Agreed. And Derrick's upstairs so no way..."

"We could climb the stupid trellis to my balcony." Bradin suggested, they'd done it a hundred times before.

"Okay, but what if it's locked? Is it locked?"

"Yeah, I meant to wake Derrick... then again, it might freak him out..." Bradin chuckled, "You were right the first time."

"What'd I say?"

"That we're stuck out here till morning." Bradin laughed. "Might as well make yourself comfortable." He slid into the left hand corner of the porch and leaned against the wall. Nikki followed suit and leaned against his shoulder and the wall.

"So... I'm gonna sleep and if you let somebody come up here and snatch me away I will kill you." Nikki said, jokingly but also serious. Ever since Jerry Brown she didn't take chances. Ever.

Bradin laughed slightly. "No way would I let somebody take my baby sister." He said sweetly, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her close.

"I know. I just needed to say it..." Nikki murmured.

"I know..." Bradin murmured back, neither of them feeling comfortable talking any louder about the subject they knew was in the back of each of their minds.

The two went silent for a while just listening to the waves crashing on the shore not too far away and a few birds chirping cause they apparently thought 3:30 in the morning was early enough.

"When's Jay get up lately?"

"It's Sunday. Try 11." Bradin said staring into the distance.

"But you could knock on the door to wake him up at like, say, 8 and tell him you locked yourself out and then, when he unlocks he door you could let me in without him knowing I was out too, you know?"

"Yeah, then you'd have to hide till later cause he thinks you're at Amber's..."

"Oh, yeah..." Nikki didn't bother coming up with a new plan.

Bradin yawned.

Nikki closed her eyes, her head on her brother's shoulder.

"Brae..." she said quietly.

"Mm hmm?"

"Does it ever.. bother you?" Nikki said, looking at the floor.

"What?"

"You know.. what Jerry... did to you..." Nikki half whispered.

"God, yes!" Bradin almost laughed but sobered immediately and added, "What about you? What he did to you, Nik? Is that why you're asking?"

Nikki nodded mutely and fell into Bradin's embrace as he turned and hugged her close to his chest. "Shh..." he whispered holding his sister tight, feeling her pain and wishing there were something he could do to make it all go away for her.

After a couple of minutes of silence Bradin asked, "Is this what I've heard you crying about?"

"You've heard me... crying?" Nikki whispered. She hadn't thought anyone knew about that.

"Yeah, I'll hear you at night when I sneak in or out late and the house is silent... I've just never asked you... Maybe I should have..."

"No, Brae.. it's okay. But yes, that's what... it's just... he... he took my innocence away, you know? I can't get that back... I just..." tears fell down Nikki's face and she buried her head in Bradin's chest.

"God, Nik, I swear if I could've taken your place..." Bradin said, angry with the man that had hurt his little sister so bad. "I'd go through everything, _everything_ Jerry did to me, and then some, all over again if it meant taking your pain away, Nikki... I can't stand to see you hurt... I wish you weren't hurt, Nikki..." He whispered into her hair, holding her close to him, wishing so bad he could do something to heal her broken heart but knowing he couldn't.

Nikki didn't say anything back, she just held to Bradin tighter, tears rolling down her cheeks and soaking her brother's shirt.

"I love you." Bradin whispered, not even sure she heard him.

"I love you too."

* * *

**Awww, right? Haha I thought so when writing it! Hope you loved it, but even if you didn't, I wanna hear about it!! REVIEW, pretty please! (cherries on top!)**

_Anna Christie_

**PS Thank you all so much for starting to review more specific details, it means a lot! Love you! Till next chapter, peace! ((hearts))  
**


	12. 11: Hope You Make The Right Call

**I do not own Summerland.**

**Sorry for the wait, here's your update! Hope y'all like it.**

**BTW, sorry if I seem stiff... just saw a movie that like, drained my brain away... er... yeah... O.o...**

**StrawberryCheeseCak3,** hey, thanks for loving it!! Haha Bradin as your brother, huh? Mine are pretty dang awesome, maybe that's where I got the idea?? Teehee Hope you like this ch and hey, it doesn't bother me one tiny bit that you still can't get over the cell phone thing! Haha It shows I had something specific in there that stuck out to a reader! ((hearts)) Miss talking to you, hope you're online soon (at the same time as me, obviously lol!)

**somuch4myhappyending**, BBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBJJJJJJJJJJJJJ!! YES, you're reading again!! Haha okay, calming down now. You know, I should completely scream at you! But, because you'd have to turn right around and scream at me for some of the times I wasn't reading your story, haha, I won't. I'm just uber (I hate that word lol) happy that you're reading again!! There was no fight between Bradin and Jeremy... ?? Do you mean Bradin and his friends and that other group of jock asses fighting?? Lol Sorry but I seriously don't know what you're talking about... there was no fight besides that one. I love every Bradin –wink- haha Joey? Oh, he's around. He'll reappear. Sorry, honey, no more cheating with Joey... Sure, it's okay to be totally pissed off at Teresa right now! Haha but you should be careful, people can start to think you're crazy when you scream and cuss out computer screens... –crazy eyes- I knew you'd love the Brae/D!! And figured you'd like the Nik/Brae too, but I didn't know it'd bring tears to anyone's eyes!! Though, as a writer, I always want my writing to be moving enough to do that!! Makes me giddy to hear it, thanks!! D Awe, girl, it's okay! Like I said, I'm just glad you ARE still reading! –reads on- AHHHHHHH –faints- -wakes back up- You FORGOT my story?? Haha tis' alright, tis' alright! I shall forgive you this time since you reviewed at 3AM!! Love ya lots, love that you're lovin' this story and hope you love this chapter just as much!!

**froggy2045**, hey! I'm SO happy with your specific detail point outs! Thanks a million, I'm glad you loved the ch, love this one too!!

**gymnastgirl123**, HI!! New reader, yes? I'm glad to see you reading!! I'm glad you loved the Bradin/Nikki and Bradin/Derrick! I really enjoy writing it so yeah haha Don't worry, the answer to that question WILL come, eventually! Haha Hope you like the update!!

**ShiaLover09**, Thanks, girl!! Oh, do NOT worry!! There will be a Brae/Resa convo for sure! And soon. ) Enjoy!

**angel-prncess-18**, Thanks, girl! I'm glad you liked it, I was hoping, though I knew it, that everybody would like that scene!! Haha Don't worry, y'all are gonna find out soon!! Enjoy this chapter!!

**6Ellie6**, awe, thanks so much! Really? I think they're a little out of character, but if it works, then who am I to argue the point? Haha Hope you like this chapter! Oh, and THE question shall be answered soon! lol

**Ash Riley**, haha merci, merci! Lol Thanks, I'm glad! I try. –curtseys- I think I sent you a PM about how Bradin is. Lol but yeah, anyway, it seems to work overall! Glad you like "this Bradin" better! Haha lol yes, we'd all like to think we'd "kick their cheating ass to the curb" but you and I both know we wouldn't lol! Anywho, I'm beyond tired and making no sense now so I'll just go and let you read! Oh, and thank you sooooo much for what you said about how if you mentioned specifics it'd be the entire thing!! But you did mention specifics!! _"All of your descriptions are beautiful, and the dialogue is awesome."_ Thank you very, very much! I'm glad.

**Anywho, I know I talked too much here, I won't next time, promise! Gonna let y'all read now!! ...while I sleep!! :P**

* * *

**Chapter XI**

_**Hope You Make The Right Call**_

Jay Robertson got up extra early, especially for a Sunday, showered, brushed his teeth, dressed and headed upstairs to do his usual check of the kids' rooms. Since everyone was gone for most of the summer Jay had moved into the main house to keep a better eye on the kids. First he tried the boys' room. Derrick was there but no Bradin. Shocking. Not really, cause Jay kind of knew he'd been sneaking out but he was always back before Jay got up so he couldn't prove it... Of course, maybe he'd just caught him too early. This _was _the earliest Jay had gotten up in a while. It was usually 7:30 before he dragged himself out of bed and he was already up and at it today and it was only ten till 6. Well, he'd call Bradin's cell in a minute after he made sure he wasn't downstairs or outside. Next he checked Nikki's room, she was- wasn't there? He looked again, nope, wasn't there. Interesting. No, wait, she was at Amber's. Okay, it was just Bradin.

Heading downstairs Jay checked the kitchen table for any notes that Bradin might have left saying he had gone out super early before Jay got up or super late or something last night after Jay went to sleep. Nothing. The last he had known Bradin was going to bed, and it had only been half after midnight then, which Jay had thought was odd but hadn't questioned. Then he had retired less then an hour later.

A check with the clock revealed it was a quarter after six. He stepped out the front door to check the beach and stopped short. There, in the corner of the porch was the missing teen and... Nikki? They were wrapped in a hug and had apparently fallen asleep like that. Nikki's blonde head was buried in Bradin's chest and Bradin's rested on his sister's smaller one. This was... interesting. Clearing his throat loudly to wake them up Jay asked, "So... you guys wanna explain this one?" His face was a mixture of amusement, curiosity and stern questioning.

Bradin looked up, squinting at the bright sunlight reflecting off the sand into his tired eyes. "Uh..." he started then looked at Nikki, who was also squinting against the sunlight as she disentangled herself from her brother's arms. "We er... that is..." she started but didn't finish.

"We got locked out of the house, in all honesty." Bradin finished, laughing slightly.

"Ah. Maybe you two would like to come _in _to the house while you explain?" Jay asked, stepping aside as the two teens stood up and walked into the foyer, yawning and stretching.

Jay shut the door behind them and ushered the two into the kitchen, motioning that they sit at the table. "Alright, explain. Nikki, I thought you were at Amber's." He addressed the 15-year-old.

"Well... Amber and I kinda... got in a fight and I just stormed out and I called Bradin and asked if he'd come get me so he did. Only, he locked the door and I left my purse at Amber's and... yeah..." Nikki told the whole truth, well, just about. The alcohol thing could just stay with last night and so could the fact that she and Amber had _not_ had a fight and that Nikki had been going to walk home alone had she not been on the phone with Bradin already.

"Bradin?"

"Yep." Bradin said, chuckling at the memory of realizing they were locked out less then 4 hours ago.

"Why didn't you wake me up then?"

"I don't know... We thought you'd be mad or something..." Nikki said nonchalantly. "It was after 3 in the morning..."

"Well..." Jay didn't seem to care so long as they hadn't caused some kind of major trouble or something. "What's up with you two today?" he asked, pouring himself a bowl of cereal.

"Not much with me..." Nikki said, "Might just hang around here today come to think of it..."

"I promised Derrick I'd do something with him today so, actually, I'll be around here too, why?" Bradin asked.

"Just wondering." Jay said, eating a spoonful of his cereal. "Cereal?" he offered noticing the siblings were watching him. They laughed and accepted.

--

Teresa dragged, literally _dragged_, herself out of bed and across the floor to her adjoining bathroom. She hadn't slept _at all_ last night and that on top of everything that had happened the day before was making her feel half dead. She looked in the mirror and wasn't shocked to see dark circles underneath each of her eyes. She ripped off her clothes angrily. She was pissed at herself for being so damn stupid the day before. Stepping into the shower she put on the cold water full blast. She stifled a scream as it hit her skin, freezing her instantly and making her shiver. After a minute or two it felt good and she started to "wake up" and feel more alive then she had a couple of minutes ago.

_Okay, the plan? Figure this thing out right now and go deal with it as soon as I'm out... that's the plan. That's also bullshit. _Teresa's thoughts started driving her crazy again. She hadn't been able to shut off her mind once since about 8'o'clock the morning before when her mother had mentioned her date with old what's-his-face- SEAN, damn it! Since her mother had mentioned her date with Sean Erickson... she wished so bad her mother hadn't done that. Hadn't made a date with some guy Teresa hadn't even _met_!! If she hadn't, Teresa wouldn't have gone to Sarah's and she wouldn't have slept with Jeremy and she wouldn't have had it on her mind when she was so tired she couldn't think straight and she wouldn't have texted Bradin _telling _him!! _DAMN SEAN ERICKSON!!_

Okay, so damning Sean Erickson wasn't going to fix anything. In fact, it was just a waste of precious time. Time that should be spent figuring out a lie to tell Bradin- what the hell was she thinking!? No, no, no! She couldn't try and lie her way out of this. She had to face up to the truth. The truth that she had _texted_ to Bradin. Now why'd she go and do a damn thing like that anyway!? She should have at least been kind enough to tell him face-to-face! And it's really not like she was afraid to. She wasn't. Well, okay, a little bit. Okay, damn it, a lot! But she _would_ have... it just seemed... better somehow to... tell him via text... Easier was the correct word, actually. It seemed easier, it was easier. Much easier. And she was a damn coward. God, this water was cold... she had put the hot on... Teresa realized suddenly that she had been in the shower so long her water was starting to go out. Damn electric water heaters. Damn everything actually. Stepping out of the shower stall Teresa grabbed a towel and wrapped it around her deeply tanned body. Wow, she had been spending a lot of time in the sun lately... She should probably think about buying something white to show it off, after all, if you're going to be 3 shades darker then you were before the temperature hit near 100 every day you ought to have a white- Gahh, no, no, no!! She had to stay focused on the problem! She couldn't let her mind do that dang rabbit trail thing where she just let herself think about nonsense when there was a real issue so she wouldn't have to deal with- YOU'RE STILL DOING IT!!

Shaking her head and taking a deep breath Teresa fanned herself with her hands saying in a whisper, "Okay, the thing to do is to... to... talk to Bradin." She frowned. "I hope."

After dressing and making sure she looked 100 perfect she made her way downstairs, called to her mother, "I'm going to Bradin's, be back later!" and rushed out the front door before her mother could reply.

Walking down the beach Teresa headed in any direction _but_ Bradin's. She had thought she was going to go there when she left so that's what she told her mom but now... she wasn't sure if she could. Sighing deeply the 16-year-old sat down amid some tall rocks. She breathed in the scent of the ocean as the waves sprayed water across her legs. He short denim skirt and tank top suddenly felt chilly. But for gosh sake it was July! Maybe it was her heart...

She suddenly decided she couldn't face Bradin. Not today...

--

Bradin spent his whole day with Derrick and Nikki and didn't think about Teresa's text from the night before. And honestly? He didn't want to. He wished he could just forget it entirely... but then, he knew he couldn't do _that_. He'd have to face it sooner or later... he just... chose later, that's all.

"So, Brea?" Jay Robertson started cautiously, coming up to Bradin on the back porch around 9'clock that evening.

Bradin seemed to be in a reverie and didn't acknowledge Jay.

"Bradin?" Jay sat down beside the young man where he sat on the edge of the porch.

This time Bradin looked up. "Yeah?"

"You needing to talk about something, mate?"

Bradin shook his head, making Jay think he did even more.

"Ya sure?"

Bradin nodded. Another lie.

"Well, you can talk to me if you need to, alright?"

"Yeah." Bradin stood up suddenly, "I think I'm gonna go to bed..."

Jay raised an eyebrow. "This early?"

"Well, you know, I didn't sleep much last night, getting locked out and all..." Bradin brushed it off. "Goodnight, Jay."

"G'night." Jay replied.

--

"Alright. So it wasn't the brightest thing to do, but God, I couldn't help it!!" Teresa complained in a wail. She was laying on her bedroom floor, her door locked, all the lights off and her cell pressed to her ear. She was on the phone with her best friend in the world, Bethany Miller.

"Why didn't you just wait till you at least _saw_ him to tell him? I mean... well, jeez, Resa, that was stupid, really!" Bethany couldn't lie to her friend, even if it hurt Teresa.

"God, Beth... I don't know... it was tearing me up. I'm so sorry it's impossible to explain and I guess I just.. I just felt like I needed to tell him _right then_. Even if that meant doing it by text.I didn't mean to hurt him by doing it, oh, my God, do you think he's pissed about how I told him? I mean, he didn't even _try_ to get in touch with me today... that I know of." Teresa started chain-talking, something she did when she was nervous.

"Chill!" Bethany exclaimed, "I'm sure he ain't thinking about _how _you told him, Reese! He's probably too busy being pissed and upset that you _cheated_ to consider how you told him! That's more something we girls do..." the teen laughed.

"You're right... oh, my God, what have I fucking done, Beth?!"

"I don't know. But you gotta fix it. Call him."

"Are you kidding me!? No way in hell! No." Teresa freaked out.

"Yes." Bethany stood firm.

"No!"

"Stop yelling. Yes."

"No, Bethany." Teresa's eyes filled with tears. Her best friend wasn't even agreeing with her!

"Resa, I'm not trying to be a bitch here but... YOU CHEATED ON HIM! THE LEAST YOU CAN DO IS CALL HIM FOR GOD'S SAKE!" Bethany yelled. "Now do it." Her voice returned to a normal tone.

"But... but I..."

"I'm afraid you don't have a butt, girl!"

"BETHANY! This is serious!!" Teresa couldn't help laughing slightly.

"Sorry. Trying to lighten things up, you know. And you seriously don't have a butt."

"Thank you, Beth. I'm sure I wanted to know that you pay attention to my butt, or 'lack of,' rather." Teresa giggled.

Bethany giggled back then sobered, "Hey, what if you leave me on the line and call him? I won't say anything unless I feel it necessary." The teen suggested.

"Well, I would... but I just don't think I can talk to him tonight..."

"Why? You're not sleeping anyway!" Bethany laughed, looking over at her clock. It was four in the morning her time, one Teresa's.

"Yeah but... I just don't know about tonight..." Teresa sighed, "I wish I could _see_ him..."

"Go see him then!" Bethany laughed. She wasn't sure if she was starting to talk nonsense or not since she was so tired.

"Are you nuts? It's one, he's probably _wasted_!"

"He gets messed up?" Bethany was surprised, she didn't know Bradin did things like that.

"He gets drunk a lot..." Teresa answered. "Especially when he's upset..." her voice was low and full of shame.

"So he'd seriously be _out_ of it right now." Bethany half stated, half asked, ignoring the shameful tone of Teresa's voice. She couldn't judge Teresa for cheating on Bradin, everybody made mistakes.

"Yeah, most likely." Teresa wanted to change the subject from what she'd done but she couldn't get any other thought to enter her mind. This was going to kill her if she didn't do something!

"Call him like I said. See if he answers."

Teresa gave in easily, she was getting weary trying to fight it and she knew she should anyway. "Alright. But stay on the line. And be quiet!"

"My lips are sealed."

"And no random fit of giggles over anything we might say... _if _he answers, swear?"

"Swear. Call. I'm silent." Bethany put her phone on mute so the other line couldn't pick anything up. "Can you hear me?" she asked loudly. No reply. Good.

"Alright." Teresa replied and scrolled through her numbers till she got to Bradin's. Taking a deep breath she hit call.

--

"Brae!" Nikki called to her brother just as he was going into his room. He stopped and turned around. "Yeah?"

"Could I borrow your phone? I'm going to a midnight movie with Cam and Amber and my phone's dead and I can't find my charger. And besides, I wouldn't have time to charge it anyway, we're leaving in ten, going to Amber's then heading to the movie from there."

"Amber didn't get busted?" Bradin was shocked.

"Nope! Her mother was _tired_ and one of the girl's covered for Amber till her mother fell asleep. It was crazy they said!" Nikki laughed gleeful that Amber had gotten off scot-free the night before.

Bradin shook his head. "Sure, here." he handed Nikki his phone and laughed, "Keep Amber away from alcohol tonight though, huh?"

"Will do!" Nikki winked. "Cam already said that!" she laughed. "Goodnight, Brae. I'll get your phone if it rings and tell them to call the house, okay?"

"That works, thanks." Bradin gave his sister a hug, "Have fun! Love you."

"We will, love you too, night." Nikki smiled and hurried downstairs as Jay called up, "Nikki, Amber and Cameron are here!!"

--

"That's what I _told _you, stupid!!" the actor screamed at his co-star, finishing off a joke and making the audience erupt in laughter. Nikki giggled with Amber and Cameron. She felt a vibration in her left hip and quickly pulled her phone, actually it was Bradin's phone, out of her pocket and looked at the number that was coming in. "_Reese_" it said. She answered it and put the phone to her ear, whispering, "Hey, Teresa, this is Nikki, I borrowed Bradin's phone for the night and I'm at the movies, call the house."

"Oh, okay, sorry." Teresa said quickly, acknowledging what Nikki had just said.

"No, it's fine, bye!" Nikki smiled through her voice and hung up the phone.

Teresa sighed, "Beth?" she asked. Bethany took her phone off mute, "I heard. So call the house."

"But what if I don't get Brae? I mean, it _is _late..."

"They don't care! It's only that guy, Jay, right?"

"Yeah... as far as I know..." Teresa was reluctant.

"Then call. Do it now!!" Bethany wasn't letting up, she could tell this was eating her friend's heart up.

"Alright!! God..." Teresa half yelled, "Go silent again, okay?"

"M'kay, done." Bethany hit the button. "Now?" Teresa didn't answer. Bethany nodded, she remembered one time that it _didn't_ take... that had been a disaster so she always asked now.

Teresa searched her number's again till she found Bradin's house. Hitting send she waited breathlessly, her heart racing. She _really_ didn't wanna talk to him and yet, it was the only think she could think to do.

It rang once... twice... three times... Teresa was just about to hang up when Jay's voice came over the line, "Yo?

"Um, Jay?" Teresa asked. Stupid question for two reasons. One; he was the only other person besides the siblings at the Gregory house this summer and two; he was the only person she knew in all of Playa Linda who had an Australian accent.

"Yeah, who's this-" Jay suddenly recognized the voice, "OH! Teresa, right?"

"Yeah, um... Is Bradin around?" He was probably out-

"Yeah, he's asleep," Jay said. "_But_ I'm sure he'd like me to wake him up, just hold on!" he added before she could get out of it.

"Oh, no, don't do that-"

"No, it's fine. Hold on a second." Jay interrupted and set the phone down, heading upstairs.

"Bradin?" he asked in a whisper, poking his head in the brothers' room. "You asleep?"

Bradin sat up, "No, I'm not. What's up?"

"Teresa's on the phone, mate."

Bradin stiffened. "I'll be right there."

Jay nodded, hurried back downstairs and grabbed the phone. "Teresa?" he asked.

"Yeah?"

"There you see, he wasn't even asleep." Jay laughed, "He's coming- here he is."

Bradin took the receiver from Jay's hand, "Thanks, man." He said.

Jay nodded and left the room to give Bradin some privacy.

Bradin put his hand over the speaker and took a deep breath before talking to Teresa. "Reese?" he asked, putting the phone to his ear.

_He called her Reese... good sign... I hope._ Teresa thought. "Yeah... Um..." she wasn't sure what to say next and silence fell.

"Teresa, could we just meet tomorrow or something cause I'm really tired." Bradin lied. He didn't know why but he wanted to get off the phone with her.

The words hurt Teresa, like somehow... he just didn't even care that she had called. "Oh... yeah, sure, that's fine, I'm sorry I called." Teresa had tried so hard not to let it show that she was starting to cry but failed on the last word. _Damn it_.

"Wait." Bradin said quickly. "I... I'm not really tired... I just don't wanna do this over the phone..."

"Me either." Teresa admitted.

"We could meet now." Bradin said.

Teresa was silent for a minute. "Let me see if my mom's asleep yet."

"Okay."

Teresa put her phone on mute and sent Bethany a text, "Already know she's asleep, what should I do?"

The response came back in less then 30 seconds. "Meet him. I'll hang on till he hangs up."

Teresa went back to the phone. "Where at?" she asked, without mentioning whether her mother was asleep or not.

"Spanish Cove. 20 minutes." Bradin said.

"See you there." Teresa replied.

Bradin hung up.

"Beth?" Teresa asked, fear showing through even in her voice.

"I'm here." Her friend replied from the other line. "It's okay, girl, just go talk to him."

Teresa breathed deeply. "Okay. And, girl?"

"Yeah?" Bethany asked.

"Thanks for listening to me tonight."

"Anytime, honey." Bethany said sweetly. "And call me whenever you get back from talking to Bradin." She added in mock dead-sternness.

"Seriously?" Teresa asked, she realized it was already 4:30am Bethany's time. "Even if it's only in an hour?"

"Yes, even if it's in an hour! Or 30 minutes or 3 hours or... or three days!!" Bethany laughed, "_Whenever_! Alright?"

Teresa laughed too. "Alright. Love you, Beth, talk to you really soon!"

"Love you too, girl, bye!" Bethany hung up the phone, dropped it on her nightstand, hooked it to its charger and rolled over on her bed, pulling the sheet up higher. God, she was tired.

Teresa closed her phone and stood up in the dark. She walked to her mirror and saw in the dim light that she looked alright. Still dressed in the yellow tank top and short denim skirt she had thrown on that morning all she needed to do was fix her hair. It looked horrible, she'd been laying on the floor after all. Pulling it back and putting a clip in it so she had a half tail look she grabbed her cell, slipped it in her pocket and headed downstairs. Peeking in her mother's room she saw that she was sound asleep. She didn't know why but she found herself tip toeing over to her mother's bedside and giving her a kiss on the cheek. She stirred and Teresa hurried out of the room, into the kitchen and out the back door. She started down the beach in the direction of Spanish Cove, dreading seeing Bradin.

* * *

**Okay, hope you LOVED it haha But whatever you thought, REVIEW!!**

_Anna Christie_


	13. 12: Tell Him

****

I do not own Summerland.

**Hola, bella amigos! (I'm sure I didn't do that right haha Hello beautiful friends? –puzzled- in case you're wondering, I barely know what I'm talking about when it comes to Spanish. lol And I get it, Italian and French very confused sometimes...) **

**THANK YOUS!! (one of my favorite times of day! –happy smile-)**

**SoMuch4MyHappyEnding**, Hahaha, yes, your review is way long!! But no, I'm not bored reading it!! I just have to chop it all up so it's not LONG here lol Or maybe I'll make it long and not care what anyone says? Uber, hahaha Glad you agree! Lol Every Bradin is incredible. Okay, I figured you meant that, lol, it was the only fight there was so I knew you must have! Well, Joey will be around but not with Teresa. Sorry... Thank you so much!! I'm so glad to hear that. Of course, silly! If I just answered all the unanswered questions then who would keep reading?? You gotta have cliff hangers worthy of white knuckles! Pahaha Just to tell you, Brae/Resa will appear very soon! (this chapter even??) Ha! Thanks, apparently that line/the convo with Beth/Reese was popular! Thank you so, so, so much!! I'm psyched it came out right! There will deff be drama soon. Way soon. And, thank you for the suggestion but I have the ending already planned out and Teresa getting pregnant with another guy's baby isn't in that. You'll see, I hope you won't be disappointed. (I think you'll like the way this story plays out. And there should be PROBABLY, though there are no promises, about 40 chapters in all. If everything works out and I have time to write! Haha) No, I haven't seen "Atonement," sorry. But anyway, thanks for suggesting! Don't stop, you never know, I might just take an idea sometime! There will be a lot of Nikki in the story, I like her a lot so she's in here a lot lol I think you'll like what I've got coming up. GAHHH QUIT DOING THAT, BJ!! (haha you keep saying you'd like to see "such and such" and in reality I already have something about it WRITTEN!! Are you sneaking onto my hard drive at night READING?? HMMM?? –insane eyes- haha I'll just say this, you'll see a bit deeper into Nikki's heart in the coming chapters. Lol damn, this WAS long... oops. I should probably review REPLY your long reviews from now on. (DON'T stop giving them though! I ADORE long reviews!! ADORE them!!) I hope this counts as soon! Lol Let's see, you reviewed this today, I update today... yep, I think that's soon! –wink- love you too, thanks a gazillion, enjoy!!

**6Ellie6**, thanks! So glad you loved it!! 8, unless you count damnING, then it's 9. –snicker- Anywho, the idea was that she was totally and completely pissed off at herself, therefore everything needed blaming _but_ herself haha. Glad you liked the inner arguing, seriously loved writing that, I've done it myself! –wink- And thanks, haha, I liked that joke too, it just kinda hit me since Teresa was stuttering "but... but..." haha hope you like this chapter!!

**angel-prncess-18**, thank ya, girl! I love your screenname btw haha Anyway, I'm excited you're excited lol! Enjoy this chapter!!

**StrawberryCheeseCak3**, apparently I pull a lot from your life without even knowing it! Lol And he will kiss you. Just you wait, missy! Maybe not during practice (or at the party) but I know he's going too... he seems too into you not to haha –stares innocently at your glare- What?? Glad you like the story, enjoy the update!!

**gymnastgirl123**, thanks so much!! Your words are so encouraging! Hope you love this chapter too!!

**ShiaLover09**, Yes, they're talking again, sort of, Mary, deary- cough – sorry, I just had to say that for some reason! lol. haha Thank you so, so much!! I'm really happy you liked the inner dialogue! It was way fun to write lol So it's awesome to know people enjoyed reading it too!! And thank you so, so much for saying I have a knack! I know you wouldn't say something you don't mean, which means a lot and is really encouraging to me as a writer. But you know about that, so read on and enjoy!!

**froggy2045**, -looks shocked- WELL FINE THEN!! RIGHT NOW. Here... it is! pahaha Thanks!! I'm glad to see somebody embracing the character of Bethany, she will be back later on, trust me! And yah, yah, teehee, I thought it was fitting they were sort of "hiding" from each other cause it was better in their mind if it hadn't happened, but they knew it had so they'd have to face it sooner or later... they'd just assume later however! –winks- Anywho, like I said, you may find out RIGHT NOW!! –big eyes- Love it, por favor? Hehe I know you will! And girl, thank you so, so much for reading and reviewing!

Thanks to ALL of you, obviously, lol, don't get your feelings hurt, anybody, I love you all!! Promise, cross my heart and hope to d- er... cry! XD Oh, and to answer just about everybody's mutual question, yes, there is big Brae/Resa in this chapter! Hope you all love it, read on!

* * *

**Chapter XII**

**_Tell Him_**

Bradin hung up the phone and sat down on the couch. He didn't have a plan in mind... just hear Teresa out he guessed. Going upstairs he slipped into his room and changed into jeans and a T-shirt. He combed his hair and looked in the mirror in the dim light from Derrick's night light... fine. He sighed, he was not looking forward to this... he wished he could just imagine it never happened. Why did it have to happen? He turned away and headed back downstairs.

"Jay?" Bradin poked his head into the kitchen to find Jay sitting at the table sipping something from coffee mug. Was he drinking coffee this late? "You pullin' an all-nighter?" he asked, sitting down across from Jay.

"I wasn't meaning to but... 'eh, Erica troubles..." Jay noticed Bradin had dressed. "Going somewhere?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah, for a walk... gotta um... clear my head, I guess..." Bradin only told part of the truth.

"Why, is something wrong?" Jay was puzzled, clear his head of what?

"Um... to be honest, it's Teresa." Bradin sighed. "I just really need to think... get some air, I don't know..." Bradin didn't know why but he didn't want to tell him he was meeting Teresa for some reason.

Jay nodded, "Just watch yourself out there, alright?"

This time it was Bradin's turn to nod. "I will."

"Here, take my phone, I know Nikki has yours." Jay handed him his cell. He didn't like Bradin being out alone so late... not since everything with Jerry Brown. And he knew Jerry was dead but still... it always bothered him. "Oh, and if Erica happens to call, which I seriously doubt, tell her to call the house."

"Okay, I will. Thanks." Bradin stood. "I'll be back later." With that he slipped out the back door and headed down the beach. He realized he was going to be late if he just walked so he started jogging. Once he was about 200 feet from Spanish Cove he slowed back to a normal pace. When he got to the cove he turned and faced the water. Teresa wasn't there yet so maybe it didn't matter that he was late. Or maybe she had already come and left? Nah... he was only about 3 minutes late. Then maybe something happened to her? No. So maybe she ran into somebody and went off with them! Maybe she met up with another guy and left with them. He wouldn't put it past her anymore... "Damn it, stop." Bradin whispered to himself, cutting off his bitter thoughts. He sat down in the sand, facing the ocean, and stared out over the waves, lost in thought.

Teresa stopped short. Bradin was already here. He was sitting Indian-style in the sand near the shoreline, his head looking straight ahead, his hands rested in his lap. She hesitated, could she really talk to him? She was considering turning around when Bradin looked over his shoulder. She couldn't make out his face... Though the moon was bright, his face was still in shadow. He stood up. Teresa took a few more steps until she was standing about a foot and a half away from him. Nobody said anything, just stared at each other, silently. After a minute the 17-year-old broke the silence.

"So... what did you do?" Bradin tried to keep his voice from showing any emotion but couldn't help it. He was hurt and pissed off. Major.

"Well... um, it was... more then... I... last time... we..." Teresa stuttered, tears starting to fall down her face in streams.

"Are you fucking kidding me!?" Bradin bit his lip and clenched his fists. She was not serious. She couldn't be serious...

"No, Bradin." Teresa's voice was no louder then a whisper. Her head was so low it was impossible to see her face. What was Bradin going to say now? She was almost worried he'd hurt her... he looked _extremely_ pissed off. And why wouldn't he be? Teresa suddenly realized he hadn't said _anything_. She looked up only to find that he had turned his back to her and was now staring out at the ocean, his hands jammed in his pockets and his head looking straight ahead. She figured he wasn't really seeing anything though... "Bradin-" she started but he cut her off, turning around and spitting out, "No, Teresa, you listen to me! What the hell!? Why the fucking hell would you do that!?" she could tell tears were hiding behind his eyes... But he wasn't letting them fall and that was hurting her. She had never thought he might not let her see his true emotions about something-

"WHY!?" He screamed at her, interrupting her stream of thoughts.

"I DON'T FUCKING KNOW WHY!!" she screamed back. _She_ was crying. She was crying and she didn't give a crap.

"Damn it, Teresa..." Bradin's voice finally showed what he was feeling and it killed Teresa inside.

"Bradin-" she again started but was cut off.

"No. No, no, just forget this. Just forget this whole thing! I don't understand..." Bradin came closer to her but didn't touch her. Her body shook with sobs. She wished he'd hold her... She guessed that was over now. He was still talking to her... she was missing most of it but caught the last part. Which he said in such a tone she wasn't sure if he was going to break down and cry or kill her. "I don't understand!! Maybe you can explain it to me, Teresa!! Why would you do that!? I mean, for God's sake, if you wanted- _needed_ that then you knew... you knew I..." he didn't finish, just stared at her.

"Oh, my God... no, I didn't. I mean, yeah, I knew you would... but I... I didn't... it just... happened. It just happened, Bradin. I'm so sorry... I- can't... I can't even tell... tell you how... sorry I... am. I'm sorry..." Teresa's sentences were cut up by sobs, she couldn't stop crying now and the worst part of it was that he wouldn't hold her. _He wouldn't hold her!!_ She knew they'd been together less then a year but she somehow could not remember life before him. She couldn't remember it. And worse, she couldn't face it if he left her. But why wouldn't he... now?

Bradin looked down and took her left hand in his. Her breath caught. He wouldn't...

"I'm through with this shit, Teresa. I... I can't do it." He said, looking up at her face. She tried to catch his eye but couldn't. He was less then ten fucking inches away from her, looking her in the face, and she couldn't catch his eye!! She realized why... he wouldn't look at her.

"I guess we were never meant to be together in the first place." Bradin slipped the ring he had given her 7 months before off of her finger and let it drop in the sand. "I'm done." He repeated. And with that, he turned and walked away from the crying, shaking 16-year-old girl he loved. And he did love her. He knew it. But if she didn't love him then what was the damn point of even trying?

"Oh, my God, Bradin! Please don't..."

"Don't fucking what!?" he whirled around, tears now spilling from his own eyes to match Teresa's . "Don't what, Teresa?! Damn it, don't what!?"

"Leave." Teresa's voice was barely audible, in fact, Bradin wasn't sure he had even heard her speak, but he read her lips in the light of the full moon.

"Don't leave?" His voice, too, was extremely low. And being 3 feet away from each other, the ocean beating on the shore beside them, made it even harder to hear.

Teresa nodded, tears falling from her cheeks as she did. "Don't leave." She said in full.

"Why?"

Why? He asked her why? Well why then? Tell him why. Tell him it's because you've never felt anything even _close_ to what you feel when you're around him with anyone else in your whole entire life. Tell him you love him. Tell him it's because he holds _every_ part of your heart in his. Tell him you love him. Tell him it's because you can't wait to spend the rest of your life with him. Tell him you love him. Tell him it's because everything, every _damn _thing, you do, you do for him. Tell him you love him. Tell him the reason you haven't killed yourself yet is because he saved your life. Tell him you love him. Just by existing. Tell him you love him. By existing and by needing you to save _his _life. Tell him you love him. Tell him you'd both be fucking dead now if it wasn't for him. Tell him you love him. Tell him you don't know why the hell you did what you did. Tell him you love him. Tell him you can't even remember what you were thinking, or not thinking, when you did it. Tell him you love him. Tell him you didn't care about anything, _anything_, after your dad and brother died. Tell him you love him. Not until he came along. Tell you him you love him. Tell him you were so broken apart you weren't sure if you even knew yourself anymore... until he came along. Tell him you love him. Tell him you need him. Tell him you love him. Tell him you _love_ him.

Teresa looked up, tears now poured down both of their faces. She came up to him till they were less then 3 inches apart... She put her face to his, their foreheads resting against each other, their breaths coming fast and short. She wrapped her hands around his neck and he wrapped his around her waist and... she told him. Everything. She told him she loved him. And he held her. He held her, kissed her, pulled her close to him and held her like he would never let her go. He held her, kissed her and they fell in the sand so wrapped up in each other that the rest of the world vanished. He held her and it was just the two of them. And it could stay that way. Forever for all they cared. It could always be just them. Alone, together... forever.

* * *

**Well... hmm what could possibly happen now that that's over?? Knowing me? Anything. Know you love me! Review please, thank you times a million!!**

_X's and O's,  
__Anna Christie_

**PS, sorry it was kinda short, next update really soon! And should be longer lol**


	14. 13: Love Just Is

**I do not own Summerland. (I wonder how many times I can say that before somebody gets a clue...)**

**froggy2045**, thanks so much, Becca! :D I liked that too, glad it wasn't overkill though, I was worried it would be! Haha Anywho, oh, trust me, honey, there will be plenty of... BOTH! Lol And to answer your question, I think Rebecca shouldn't in your story. (you know what I'm talking about, I hope lol) But you can do whichever you want, it'll be awesome either way! I just think she shouldn't, personally. But that's me. Enjoy the chapter, girl!!

**StrawberryCheeseCak3**, thank you six million times six million! (dk why six, lol, it just popped in my head) ANYWAY, haha, I'm so glad!! I really enjoyed writing Teresa's thoughts there so I'm excited to see that y'all liked it! After all, the readers are all that matters, right? I wouldn't be writing if it weren't for y'all! **"You are seriously really good at writing.. lol. xD Keep going!" **lol thank you SO, SO much!!

**Off topic: ** So how are things going with I-know-who lately? Teeheehee (do you wear the ring everywhere? –major wink- lol) luv ya, enjoy!!

**ShiaLover09**, I dunno, are they? Haha you'll see, keep reading!! Thank you for the review, girl! And man, we need to be on AIM at the same time like, soon! I haven't talked to you in ages! Anyway, enjoy the update!

**6Ellie6**, thank you! Yes, lol, I do like repetition, it gives it an intense feeling when she keeps saying "tell him" and the "damn" was because she was angry, I thought it worked pretty good... :D I hope you like the update!

**Ash Riley**, your review on ch 11: AHHH thank you so much!! I can't tell you how happy it makes me to hear people tell me things like that! I'm so, super glad that it seems real! That's something I wonder about sometimes, so thank you! And yeah, lol, I wanted the chapter to open up light and funny, which the "we got locked out" thing did, I think! Now, your review on ch 12: Thank you so, so much. Really now? Haha I'll make sure we get a lot more "sappy" moments to keep you moving along!! –snickers- I love your reviews cause you kinda talk through what you thought, makes me feel like you're having a conversation with me! :D And as for that, I thought it was real enough, I've forgiven people that quick, it'slike, you love them so much it's hard not to and so you do. But as for consequences, who said there weren't going to be? Cause I know it wasn't me... –sneaky eyes, wink- You shall see, hope you like this chapter and again, thank you, thank you, thank you SO much!! I like that word, magnificent, is that what you said? Teeheehee, thanks, girl!

**angel-prncess-18**, yep, yep, thank you!! I'm glad you liked that, lol, t'was fun writing! Hey, congratulations!! You were the only one to realize what –cough- that meant. Haha I had hoped it wouldn't be too obvious till this chapter, and it apparently wasn't, but you got it! (at least I think you did –wink-) Lol Anyway, no, no, don't stop! I love people "getting real into it" (THE STORY, GUYS, God, y'all are so nasty... teeheehee) and telling me their ideas and stuff! So yeah, don't stop lol, I totally don't mind and the longer the review, the happier I am so that quicker I write which means, the sooner I update! (nice chain reaction, no?) Oh, and about your idea, I actually had someone else mention "what if Teresa got pregnant!" Lol how odd... but see, I have something already planned for that aspect of the story and it doesn't include Teresa being pregnant with Jeremy's baby, sorry. (and I THINK you meant "what if she was pregnant and not HIS kid pahahahaha) But anyway, like I said, keep talking out your thoughts, I love hearing them! Who knows, you might just give me an idea I hadn't thought of! Now read and enjoy! And that's an order –cough- Oh, and you're welcome! I really do!

**Okay, I'm really sorry for the unusually long wait but here's the new chapter and hopefully it'll make up for any anger there might be at me for taking so long to update!! Lol It's 13 pages, y'all, come on! Now, love it or else! Or you could just like it... or- -someone slaps tape over my mouth and throws me in the closest so I'll shut up so y'all can read!- -smile- Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter XIII**

_**Love Just Is...**_

Bradin walked home the next day more confused then he'd ever been in his entire 17 years. And he'd been pretty damn confused in the past. But not like this. This was different somehow...

He had told Teresa he was done with her but in his heart he knew he wasn't and that he still loved her... and that he always would no matter what she did because that was just the affect she had on him. Then she had told him things he knew could not be lies and yet, the fact remained that she had cheated on him twice now. The confusion there was almost unbearable. After she had told him all the things that he knew she was feeling in her heart just by the way she said them and by the look in her eyes, he had pulled her to his chest without giving it a second thought. Without a second thought as to the fact that she had still cheated on him for some reason. He had kissed her and turned his mind off. They had fallen to the ground in each other's arms. They had laid there, holding each other, kissing... feeling each of their hearts beat as one.

They had done something that proved to each of them that there was something far more with them then it was starting to seem. It was supposed to mean something special to each of them... And the thing was, he knew it did. No matter what Teresa had done that weekend, or any other time for that matter, he knew that what they did together meant everything... to both of them.

He had walked her back to her house about 4'o'clock that morning before her mother discovered her missing and found out she had been with him the night before... and on the beach at that. After leaving her he had wandered aimlessly around the beach till 6 then sat on their pier till after 8. And now he was walking home. He was so confused about everything he wasn't sure he even knew what he was confused about anymore. As much as he didn't really like talking about his personal life with people... he knew what he was going to do when he got home... He was going to talk to Jay and he wasn't even going to bother trying to reason why he shouldn't.

He climbed the steps to the back door of his aunt's beach house and entered the kitchen to find his two siblings sitting at the table laughing and eating pancakes. Jay was leaning against the counter near the stove, where more pancakes were frying. Bradin couldn't help but smile slightly at how much Jay had become a father to them all. Especially him... at least in his mind anyway. He wasn't quite sure how Jay felt about their relationship... he just knew that when Jay had held him after he had told him what Jerry Brown had done to him he felt... like he was back... back in Kansas before the accident. Before his own father had died. Back to the few times his dad had held him. Ever since then he had considered Jay a father to him. And he was pretty sure Jay considered him a son.

"Bradin..." Jay raised an eyebrow. "Care to tell me where you were all night? I thought you said you were just going for a walk..."

Bradin noticed Nikki and Derrick stop talking and look at him.

"Um... I went to Luc's and crashed there... I guess I didn't think to call..." he lied.

"Bradin, I called Lucas's... about 3 in the morning! After I called my cell, which by the way I need back, about 5 times. And I woke up his parents only to find that Lucas wasn't even there. Why are you lying?" Jay asked, he looked slightly amused.

Damn it. "Well I didn't stay at Lucas's... exactly... Um, could you ask me this later, I gotta run a minute! Oh, and here." he set Jay's phone on the table and hurried through the kitchen and to the downstairs bathroom before anyone could say anything else to him.

"Nik, could you watch these?" Jay motioned to the pancakes and followed Bradin out of the kitchen. He stood in the living room waiting for him to emerge from the bathroom so he could ask him where he had really been that night.

Leave it to Jay to call Lucas's house last night and not any other time he had gone "missing" overnight. Bradin cursed himself for giving that excuse as he washed his hands before heading back into the living room. He stopped short, Jay was standing at the foot of the stairs.

"Bradin, were you really with Lucas last night, cause I don't think you were."

"No, I wasn't... I just didn't really wanna talk about it in front of Nik and D..." Bradin admitted. Though it was mostly Derrick. In fact, he wouldn't mind talking to Nikki right now... For some reason she and he had become extremely close since school let out. "But I mean, it's not like I won't tell you... just... not right now? Please?" he added.

Jay believed Bradin would tell him later so he let him go for the time being. "Alright. What are you doing right now?"

"Going up here to grab a shower and all..."

"Alright, come back down when you're done and eat something though, okay? You haven't been eating anything the past few days." Jay said. Bradin started to protest and say he had but Jay cut him off. "Don't, I've noticed."

"Okay. I'll be down in a little while." Bradin gave in. It was true he hadn't been eating much, if anything. He wasn't all that sure why but he had just... hadn't. "Jay?" he added suddenly, catching Jay before he went back into the kitchen.

"Yeah, mate?"

"Um... never mind. I don't know, it was stupid." Bradin started up the stairs but Jay followed him.

"Nothing's stupid, Bradin. What was it?"

"I don't know... Bradin stopped at he head of the stairs and turned to face Jay, who was a step down. "I was just gonna ask you... something. I don't know, it was stupid, really. Forget it."

"I won't forget it."

"Come on, man, just let it go..." Bradin started walking towards his room but, again, Jay followed him.

"Was it... something about me?" Jay had somehow felt Bradin wanted to talk to him and the weird thing was, his mind wouldn't let it go.

"Yeah... I was just gonna ask you if you er... never mind." Bradin seemed embarrassed suddenly. "Really, it was stupid."

"Probably not."

"Why won't you let it go!?" Bradin seemed a mixture of annoyance and amusement.

"Honestly? Don't know. Something in me won't do it." Jay admitted.

"Well, it was stupid and it doesn't matter and damn, I wish I had gone back to Kansas with Derrick..." Bradin wasn't sure why he'd said that. It had just hit him. What he had been going to ask Jay was whether he thought of him like a son or not but had stopped himself and then went and said that. Really stupid.

"You missing your parents?"

"I always miss them." Again, didn't know why he said that. He was really going to have to have a talk with himself about this, damn it.

"You wanna talk about it?"

Yes, more then anything. "No." Bradin looked down. This time he hadn't let himself tell the truth, the one time he probably should have. "I'll be back down later." He said and went into his and Derrick's room, shutting the door in Jay's face. It wasn't that he was trying to be rude, he just... didn't know what the hell he was even saying!

Jay stood in the hall a second before he decided to press the matter, which usually was a bad idea but, for some reason, it was bugging him to just turn around and let it go. He knocked on the bedroom door.

Bradin groaned from inside the room, "Come in." He knew it was Jay.

"Brae," Jay started, slipping into the room and pushing the door behind him, "what were you gonna ask me?"

"Damn..." Bradin mumbled. "I don't know, okay!?"

"You do know, you've been wanting to ask me for a while, haven't you?" Jay sat down on the edge of Bradin's bed, still unsure why he himself wouldn't let it go.

"Jay..." Bradin, who was standing at the boys' dresser staring into the mirror, started. "If you..." he stopped.

Jay didn't say anything, he could tell Bradin was trying to word something.

"If you could change one thing in your life... what would it be?"

"Well it wouldn't be having you guys come here." Jay couldn't believe he'd thought to say that... and what's more, that he knew that was what was on Bradin's mind.

Bradin turned to face Jay. "Do you consider me..."

"I do." Jay stated soberly, smiling in a fatherly way. He was surprised at the feeling, he knew he loved these kids, especially Bradin for some reason, but feeling er... "fatherly" was... strange.

Bradin smiled softly. After a second he said lowly, "I'm sorry I lied. Derrick, you know... I was with Teresa."

"I figured as much, mate." Jay stood up and came over to Bradin, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Did you..."

Bradin nodded.

"I think there's an ingredient I'm missing here..." Jay said, dropping his hand. He sensed there was something more to the story.

Sighing, the teen said, "Teresa cheated on me... twice. Once was with our friend, Joey, and all they did was kiss and fall asleep, but Saturday night..." Bradin didn't finish.

"With Joey again?" Jay asked.

"No. Jeremy Perkins. Damn, none of us can stand his ass." It was clear that neither Bradin or any of his friends liked Jeremy by the smirk and anger in his voice.

"Why's that?"

"Cause we all know he's a damn player who doesn't have a problem doing just what he did with Teresa!" Bradin frowned. "He's ruined 4 relationships since the summer started and then there's me and Teresa's... which I don't know about right now."

Jay raised an eyebrow, "But these girls agree to sleep with him?"

Bradin nodded. "He's smooth. They always regret it but..." his voice trailed off.

"I see." Jay said, he knew guys like that... he hated them. "Did you and Teresa talk about it?"

"She told me what she did and I told her I was through and... I don't know.. she asked me not to leave and I asked her why and she told me..." Bradin stopped for a second, thinking about what all had happened 4 hours before. "She told me that she loved me... and I believed- _believe_ her." He corrected himself. He did believe her.

"And _then _you guys..." Jay asked.

"Yeah." Bradin looked down, "I guess we're still together... I just... I'm not sure what effect this will have on 'us...' on our relationship."

"I understand... just talk it out." Jay said simply. "It's really the only way. And don't put it off cause that just makes it worse and more confusing..."

Bradin nodded. "Yeah, I know." He looked up, taking a deep breath. "I guess I'll call her later and see if we can meet."

"There you go." Jay smiled, "And hey, I think you two are strong enough to pull through this. You love each other, everyone sees it, Bradin."

Bradin smiled. "I know." He said quietly. "Thanks."

Jay gave a him a quick hug, patting him on the back then headed for the door calling over his shoulder, "Good food downstairs..." he stopped in the doorway and turned around. "I know you need it after last night!"

Bradin laughed as the door clicked shut.

--

Teresa got a shower as soon as Bradin got her home then she dressed in a red tank top and shorts and dialed Bethany's number nervously. Why she was nervous exactly, she wasn't sure. No answer. Well, she was probably asleep. She didn't blame her if she was, after all, she had stayed on the phone with Teresa all night, her time, last night. Teresa sighed, not a sad sigh but not a dreamy one either just... a sigh. She walked out on her balcony and stood there watching the sky get lighter in the east. She rested her hands on the railing and looked up thinking about earlier. Bradin had been so sweet afterwards... and at the door when he brought her home... Holding her close, whispering things in her ear for only her to hear... She sighed, dreamily this time, and glanced down at her hands. She gasped, her ring was back on her left hand. When did he do that!? She didn't remember him putting it back... And she didn't remember him even finding it in the sand... She smiled.

She had told him she loved him and God, she _did_! So why had she cheated on him?

"_Don't be stupid, Teresa Coleman. You cheated on your guy for some reason. Maybe you should figure out and face what that reason was."_ Jeremy Perkins' voice echoed.

Teresa frowned. What did that pop into her head for? She loved Bradin. She walked back into her room and sat down on her bed, picking her cell phone up she saw the time, 4:42am.

"Teresa!!" her mother called from somewhere in the hall, "Wake up, sweetie, we're going to pick up your aunt at the airport!!"

Teresa gasped and let out her breath, she had completely forgotten. It's a good thing Bradin and she hadn't stayed out any longer! "I'm up!" Teresa called back.

"Good!" Mrs. Coleman popped her head in her oldest daughter's room, "Wow, you are up!" she laughed, noticing Teresa was dressed. "Well, since you're ready..."

"Yeah, I'll make something to eat on the way!" Teresa laughed, knowing her mother what her mother was up to. They were going to have to drive 2 hours to the Los Angeles International Airport to pick up Karen's sister, Rachel.

"Thanks, Sweetie. I still have to get dressed!" with that Teresa's mother scurried off, leaving her daughter chuckling in the dim light from the rising sun.

--

"_Okay, so I forgot something last night, Brae..."_ Teresa had left a message on Bradin's cell phone, which he had just gotten back from Nikki. _"We're gonna be gone to LA to pick up my aunt today! I'll be back around one this afternoon, give or take an hour. But you can call me back, you know, it's not like I can't talk, after all, what am I gonna be doing? Working the radio, probably. – she laughed – anyway, I'll talk to you soon, baby! I love you. – click."_ The automated voice came on, "Monday, June, twenty three., five, fifteen, A, M. No new messages, to play saved messages press-" Bradin shut his phone. So much for meeting her today. He shrugged, he wasn't really wanting to anyway. Then again, she said she'd be back around one... he could meet her sometime after that... maybe.

--

"Brae?" Nikki sat down next to her brother on the step. He was sitting on the back porch looking out at the sun set over the Pacific ocean.

"What's up, Nik?"

"Okay, this is _totally_ awkward but... mom's not around, you know, and Aunt Ava and Susannah are in New York, and I don't do serious conversations over the phone, so that leaves Jay. And I'm not talking to him about it... so that leaves you." Nikki stopped for breath, "Which is gonna be completely awkward, like I said, but I don't have another option that I know of... I called Teresa but they're gone for the day, so yeah, it's you or nobody." The 14-year-old finished with a slight laugh.

"Um.. okay?" Bradin was puzzled. "What is it?"

"Er... Cameron and I kind of... talked about something last night... and I think he got the wrong idea and now I don't know what to do... I don't wanna hurt him but I don't think I'm... ready for, you know... 'that' yet..." Nikki mumbled most of what she said, embarrassed.

"Hey, first, don't do anything you're not ready to do." Bradin said seriously, "Second, Cam's a good guy, I'm sure he'd understand if you talked to him. I don't think he'd ever push you to do something you weren't ready to do." He finished.

"I know but... I mean... ahh... never mind, this was a dumb thing to ask about anyway-"

"No, Nikki. It's not. That's confusing. I know."

"Well... the thing is... I... think I wanna wait." Nikki said quietly, "Till I'm married, I mean." She added, making sure Bradin understood.

"Then tell Cameron that." Bradin made it all sound so simple. "If he doesn't respect it – he shrugged – then he's not right for you anyway. And I know that would really hurt, but it would be better in the end."

Nikki nodded. "Brae?"

"Yeah?"

"Since Jerry... um... am I still, uh..." Nikki stumbled on words.

"Good enough for someone?" Bradin asked, knowing how that thought felt.

"Mm hmm." Nikki mumbled.

"Yes. Nik, you didn't _choose_ to do that! He _raped _you. Need a definition?" Bradin said seriously, but also lightened things up by asking if she needed a definition.

Nikki almost laughed. "No, I think I got what that is... For sure think I got it." She frowned, "But now... I mean, _technically_ I'm _not_ a virgin so... I mean..." she really was embarrassed talking about this to her brother... but she also knew that he, of all people, would not- _could_ _not _judge her because he knew. He knew what that hell was like. From his own standpoint, of course, because he was a guy, but still, he knew.

"In your own heart you are though. I think that's all that matters." Bradin said, looking out at the ocean. Almost as though he weren't only talking to Nikki but himself too.

Nikki smiled. "I never really thought about it that way... I guess being 'pure' is more a state of mind then an 'action...?' "

"I think so. To a point at least." Bradin still didn't look at her. "You're gonna be okay, Nik." He added, now turning to her and smiling.

Nikki smiled wider. "I think you're right."

" 'Course I'm right. I'm always right!" Bradin laughed. "And what are _you_ gonna do about it, huh?" he ruffled his sister's hair.

"Hey!" Nikki went to tickling Bradin incessantly and the two of them wound up in the sand laughing too hard to breathe.

"What's this!? A tickling party _without_ me?!" Cameron Bale stood above the two teens, who were almost on top of each other without realizing it. They blushed and sat up, mumbling things and brushing their clothes off.

Cameron laughed, sitting down on the steps. "Hey, don't be embarrassed! I always wished I had siblings who I was that close to... so what's up with you two tonight?"

"Nothing." Nikki admitted. "Why, what's up with _you_ tonight?" she emphasized, "Anything interesting?"

"Nope, just this 'surprise' party for Heather Willis. You know, the girl that just got out of the hospital after beating breast cancer?"

"Oh, my gosh!! I wanna go to that!! She's so strong and so brave, I seriously look up to her!"

"You look up to her?" Cameron asked.

"Yes! She's so courageous. Everybody said she was gonna die. Everybody told her she couldn't make it, and she beat it! She kept fighting. When is it?" Nikki asked, excitedly.

"In two hours at the Willis home. Actually I'm going and that's why I came by. To tell you cause I knew you'd wanna come!" Cameron admitted.

"Cam!" Nikki smiled. "Brae, you wanna-"

"Definitely." Bradin interrupted.

"Good. Let's get changed and then we'll all go to get her something and head there?" Nikki suggested.

"Works for me." Bradin stood up and offered Nikki his hand. She took it and he pulled her lightly to her feet.

Nikki breezed into the house saying, "I'm gonna wash this sand out of my hair, won't be long!" She left Cameron to Bradin and hurried upstairs.

Bradin started up the stairs but stopped halfway, "I'm just gonna change, you can come up, if you want."

"Sure, thanks." Cameron followed Bradin, knowing he always felt awkward in somebody's house when they weren't around.

Entering the boys' room, Bradin flipped on the overhead light. "Damn, this place is wrecked." He shrugged, "Oh, well." Stepping over strewn about clothes and some of Derrick's toys Bradin made it to his dresser. "Just... um... wing it!" he laughed, motioning Cameron into the room.

Cameron laughed, "Mine's worse."

"Not possible." Bradin commented, digging through a draw. "Okay, so forget that." He muttered. He tripped over to the closet and pushed things around till he had found a pair of blue jeans and a nice polo shirt.

"So how's your summer going, man?" Cameron made small talk while Bradin changed.

"Could be better but over all it's pretty good. Minus the major girlfriend trouble... but..." Bradin replied, not finishing. "Yours?" he asked.

"Things could always be better, but mine's actually going pretty darn good!" Cameron laughed. "Spending a lot of time with your sister..." he added with a shy smile.

"Yeah... my sister." Bradin looked at Cameron, who was sitting casually on the edge of Derrick's bed, being as Bradin's was covered in junk. "I love my sister, Cameron, remember that."

Cameron nodded, taking the hint that if he hurt her, he'd have to answer to Bradin. "I know."

Bradin nodded. "Good."

After a minute the 15-year-old added. "So do I."

Bradin looked over at the younger teen. He seemed to be lost in thought so Bradin didn't say anything back, just smiled.

After another minute Bradin had changed and was brushing sand out of his hair while asking, "Does she know that?"

"Huh?" Cameron returned to reality.

"Does Nik know you love her?" Bradin reworded his question, bent over forwards, still brushing the sifted dirt out of his sandy blonde hair.

Cameron opened his mouth like he was going to say something but then shut it again.

Bradin looked up at him. "Tell her." He ran his hands through his hair and frowned. How do you manage to get that much sand in your hair in a matter of two minutes?

"Bradin," Cameron ignored the advice for a minute, "I know I'm only 15 and I know Nikki's 14 but I... Well, I have a question."

"Shoot." Bradin replied, swishing his hair with his hands, trying to make more sand fall, not wanting to just go wash his hair out!

"Okay..." Cameron took a deep breath and dropped his gaze. "I'm really serious about Nikki." Bradin stopped brushing sand out and looked up, unsure where Cameron was taking this. "And the thing is, I know I'm young but I've never felt this way about anyone before... and I don't think I ever will again if I were to lose Nikki..." he looked up to catch Bradin's face but it showed nothing of what Bradin might be thinking so he looked back down slightly and continued. "And, though this wouldn't be for like, a long time yet, I just wondered if..." he looked up, "I mean, well, since you guys lost your parents I thought I would ask _you_."

"Ask me what?" Bradin asked.

"If you... um... 'approved' of me for Nikki... if that makes sense..." the 15-year-old finished, looking Bradin in the eye, "In marriage, I mean."

Bradin was... shocked? Yeah, well, at least surprised... "Wow... um..."

"Like, I said, it wouldn't be for a while! A long while..." Cameron emphasized quickly. "But, I mean... I just had to know." He admitted.

Bradin slightly cocked his head to the left, "That serious, huh?"

"Yes." Cameron replied steadily. "That serious."

"Um... I'll let you know, Cam." Bradin jerked his head towards the half open door. Cameron turned his head to find Nikki pulling it open while saying, "Are you guys ready?" He nodded at Bradin, knowing he would answer him later.

"Yeah." Bradin replied, quickly combing his hair. The rest of the sand would just have to stay there.

"Let's go then!" Nikki exclaimed.

--

"Ahh! I know!" Nikki giggled as she walked home from Heather's surprise party with her brother and her boyfriend. One on each side of her, her arms hooked in one of each of theirs. "Did you see the look on her face when everybody came outside!? It was priceless! Isn't it so amazing she beat cancer!"

"It really is." Cameron commented.

Bradin just nodded. Now that the party was over he had let his mind wander back to his earlier /conversation with Cameron. Funny Nikki had just come to him about Cameron maybe wanting to "take things further..."

"BRADIN WESTERLY!!" Nikki stopped walking and yelled in Bradin's face.

"Fuck, Nikki, don't do that! What!?" Bradin realized Nikki must have already said something to him more then once.

"Sheesh, sorry. I was just asking you if you would mind covering for me to Jay while Cam and I walk down the beach..."

"Oh. Why don't you just tell him that's what you're doing?" Bradin grinned mischievously.

"Cause Ava's been talking to him today and he's gonna be all, 'your aunt wouldn't like that, especially not this late' and blah, blah, blah! Please!?"

"Sure, I guess so. What should I say?"

"Me and Amber are at Sonic. Which is something he'll believe because Amber's always going there." Nikki laughed.

"Alright. Careful, when your comin' home?"

"About 12?"

Bradin glanced at his watch, it was 11. "Fine with me." He agreed.

"Thanks!" Nikki smiled and let go of Bradin's arm. "I have my cell if you need to call or Jay doesn't believe you or whatever, see you later!"

Bradin nodded. "Okay." He watched as the two younger teens walked off, arm in arm. Cameron _did_ seem to love her... And she was becoming such a mature young woman... Bradin was slightly surprised to feel a tear trickle down his cheek. He brushed it away and turned in the direction of home but didn't walk. He really did miss his parents. All this time it had been his mother he missed most but now... Realizing that _he_ was basically "dad" as well as brother to his two siblings... he missed him too. Just as much. Looking to the sky he whispered, "I love you guys... I hope I'm doing what you would do." He smiled, this was a bit silly, especially out in the open where somebody might see him but... he just had to say it. With that he hurried on home before Jay got curious. Of course, he could just call one of them but still, Jay was more the type to just wait for you to get home then question you. Thunder rumbled in the distance and Bradin's mind suddenly turned to Teresa. She was scared of storms, he knew, because of her dad and brother's death and he wasn't too fond of them either... his parents drowned, after all... Hearing thunder now always made him think of her. And here came the thoughts. She had probably gotten home this afternoon... He decided to call her.

--

"Aunt Rachel!!" Teresa Coleman exclaimed. "You just _left_ the guy there!?" She, her mother and her mother's sister were all sitting in the living room eating a late snack and talking about relationships. How it came up, Teresa wasn't even sure but it didn't matter, she was actually _enjoying _herself. Her mother was laughing. Laughing! And it almost felt like... before.

"Yes! What'd you want me to do, give him the courtesy of me showing up!?" Rachel laughed. "I don't think so!"

"Yeah, but it was only a rumor that he was gonna play you..." Teresa said, trying not to laugh at the thought of her aunt once being 15 and dating a 17-year-old red head... named Rory!

"Well, I didn't like him anyway!" Rachel laughed lightly.

"Really, Rachel! You said yourself his family was rich..." Karen said evilly.

"Yeah, you shoulda' used him for his money!" Teresa agreed then all three women burst into laughter.

"_Oh, kiss me... Beneath the milky twilight. Lead me out on the moonlit floor..."_ Teresa grabbed her cell off the coffee table. It was Bradin... but she didn't want to interrupt the conversation she was having... She hit 7 and set the phone back down.

"You didn't need to answer that, sweetie?"

"Nah, I'll call them back later." Teresa replied. "Now, Aunt Rach, tell me how you even came to _know_ a guy named Rory!"

Rachel laughed. "Well..."

--

Voicemail. Damn. It was too quick for a regular missed call, she either rejected it or she was on the phone. It seemed too long for her to have been on the phone, so Bradin figured she rejected it, for whatever reason. That bothered him slightly, what was she doing?

Okay, this had to stop. If he couldn't trust her anymore then he should definitely end the relationship. But then again, he had a _reason_ not to trust her... sort of. Of course, she had all but "confessed her undying love" solely to him, and proven it, last night... but his mind didn't seem to get that yet... or was it his heart ?

"Where's your sister?" Jay asked without looking up as Bradin came in. He was sitting in the living room reading something on a printed out sheet of paper.

"She's with Amber and Cameron at Sonic, she'll be home in a little while." Bradin decided to add the Cameron part because he knew Jay would have a problem, and he did too, with her walking home alone this late.

"Okay." Jay seemed to be buried in thought as he read whatever it was he was reading.

Bradin slumped down on the other end of the couch. "Mind if I watch TV?"

"No, go ahead."

Bradin grabbed the remote and kicked off his shoes, resting his feet on the coffee table. He glanced over at Jay. He was really gone... What the heck was on that paper? Shrugging he flipped the TV on.

"_And in other news, a major explosion near-"_ News. Bradin flipped the channel. _"I'm telling you, he's a killer, I saw him dragging a body in a bag-"_ Good movie, seen it one time too many since Nikki loved it to death, literally. Again he flipped. _"And they say if Joseph can make this shot he'll be in league for-"_ Rugby? What the fuck... Flip. _"Can't you ever just be real with me, Sam-"_ Late night "soap." Flip. _"If you mix in-"_ Food Network. What a... stupid channel. Really. Flip. _"And now, give it up for Hannah M-"_ Somebody please kill him. Flip. _"I can't help it if you're just a BEEP, BEEP bitch! What do you want me-"_ My Super Sweet Sixteen... Flip, God, he hated that show. But then, when Nikki had it on, he watched just to see how ridiculous these girls could actually get. Plus they were hot, added some effect. _"So what has it been like headlining a major sold out tour for the 18-year-old? "Oh, it's been crazy, unbelievable... Jesse says, thinking for a second he adds, "It's just been surreal."_ Bradin groaned, muting it. He had heard just about enough out of that guy. Nikki was obsessed, capital "O," with him... along with what seemed like 90 of the female population ages 11 to 19, give or take 3 years, in Playa Linda.

"He gets annoying, doesn't he? Or at least when you have to hear him 4 hours out of every day..." Jay commented, glancing at the TV. "But you should leave it on and see if he's everything these girls claim he is." The Australian joked. "Erica's even a little gaga over him. Why? I couldn't tell you, mate!"

"Yeah, Teresa likes him too..." Bradin roll his eyes. "Personally, he wouldn't bug me if some of the girls would just shut up about him!" he laughed. "But I don't see that happening. Just try stepping foot in my school..."

"Then we'll just have to kill him, that's the only way." Jay laughed, of course it was a complete joke. He looked back at his paper.

Bradin laughed back. "He's not that bad."

"_What is it like to have thousands of girls screaming your name?"_ the interviewer was saying when Bradin turned it back up. The teen heartthrob laughed. _"It's definitely crazy... but it's amazing."_ Came the answer before Bradin could flip it. 50's movie, Elvis movie, soccer, poker, Animal Cops? Good God... "Forget it!" Bradin gave up and flipped it off. "There never is anything on..."

"Not when we get the TV anyway." Jay laughed. "The girls seem to always find something to watch." He was still looking at that mysterious paper even as he spoke

"Yeah..." Bradin looked over at Jay. "Okay, what the hell is that!? Somebody die and leave you a mansion?"

Jay laughed out loud. "Don't I wish it. No, it's nothing really..."

"Sure." Bradin didn't believe that. "Nothing?"

"Yeah..." Jay looked sideways at Bradin. "It's an email from my... father, actually." Jay said stiffly.

Bradin raised an eyebrow, "I take it you don't get along with your father?"

"Haven't since I turned 12." Jay replied, "He's an asshole of a father and never approved of my surfing..."

"What's he say?"

"He wants to visit..." Jay looked back at the paper, "I guess I'm in shock or something, mate." He shrugged nonchalantly. "I told you it was nothing."

Bradin nodded, "Right, nothing." He rolled his eyes, "So are you gonna let him?"

"It seems the old man has already bought a plane ticket and is on his way tomorrow. But I can always turn him away when he gets to the door." Jay said.

At first Bradin thought Jay was joking but a glance at his face told him that he was not. "Seriously?"

"Yeah." Jay looked at Bradin, "What?"

"Nothing, nothing..." Bradin looked away. He wondered how somebody could hate their father so much... he only wished his were still here.

Jay, seeming to sense what was on Bradin's mind, started to say something but laughter came from the hall, interrupting him, and in walked Nikki and Cameron, breathless and wet. "Hey, turns out it was starting to rain so we raced home, literally!!" Nikki explained with a laugh.

"But now I'm trapped." Cameron commented, laughing as the rain began to pour.

"I can drive you home if you need me to, or you can wait it out, either one works." Jay said, folding up the sheet of paper he'd been reading and putting it in his pocket. He'd talk to Bradin later.

"I don't have to be home. So I can just wait it out, if you're sure it's alright."

"Yeah." Jay smiled. "Not a problem, mate."

"Hey, I have dry clothes if you want 'em." Bradin added.

"That'd be great, thanks!" Cameron flashed one of his kooky smiles.

"I'm gonna go change too." Nikki said, walking upstairs slowly, careful not to slip.

"Cameron followed Bradin to his room and accepted the clothes Bradin gave him, saying he'd bring them back tomorrow.

"That's fine." Bradin left the room.

"Nik?" Bradin knocked on his sister's door.

"Come in!" she called.

Stepping into the room he shut the door behind him. "Did you talk to Cameron?"

Nikki's face lit up. She turned to Bradin with a huge smile. "Yes! And, you _can't _tell him I told you, but he actually wants to wait too! He said he thought _I_ didn't and that he was willing to give it up, only for me, because he'd do anything to make me happy. _But_ since I want to wait too... " Nikki stopped a second, smiling, then she spoke again, her voice joyful. "We've made a promise to each other to wait for each other and for ourselves and I'm so happy I could cry! I love him so much, Brae..." Nikki's mind wandered to thoughts of Cameron.

"Good, Nik. I'm glad." Bradin smiled, giving his sister a hug. He opened the door again to leave but Nikki stopped him, saying, "Hey?"

"Yeah?"

"Thanks... for talking to me earlier." Nikki smiled.

"You're welcome. And never hesitate if you need to talk to me, okay?"

"I won't. I love you, Brae."

"I love you too." Bradin smiled. "Hey, I just realized something, where's Derrick?"

"I think he's at Martha's for the night, I think she was having a birthday party and most of the kids were staying over."

Bradin snapped his fingers, "That's right." He laughed, "Thanks." With that he stepped into the hall and pulled Nikki's door shut behind him. He caught up with Cameron halfway down the staircase. "Hey, Cam?"

"Yeah?" Cameron stopped and turned to face Bradin.

"You know what you asked me earlier today?"

Cameron met Bradin's eyes. "Yeah?"

"I approve."

* * *

**Nooooow... ... ... ... ... ... ... review? Por favor, merci! Spench! (spanish+french lol)**

_A very hyper,  
_Anna Christie

**PS sorry I talk so much at the beginning, if y'all want me to knock that off just let me know, mkay? Love ya!!**


	15. 14: Can Love Be A Lie

**I do not own Summerland. (And... apparently I can say it yet again...)**

**froggy2045**, yes, Spench and you better love it! –wink- I stole it, in a way, from my friend, Kinsey. She says Spanchanese (Spanish+Japanese) But annnnyway, haha, yay for hyperness!! Yes, it is. Pahaha Yep. I think my Bradin isn't at all like the real er 'real' Bradin was. Haha but oh, well, people have embraced him so he stays! I'm glad you liked it from both of their points of view, so to speak. Definitely be interesting twists.. but the, with me? There always are. Love that you're lovin' it, girl, and thanks! Haha I thought the Nik/Cam/Bradin tie-in was fun. But yeah, I think I'M done now lol enjoy the chapter!!

**angel-prncess-18**, thanks ya! (yes, I meant to say thanks ya haha) Well, like Cam stressed, it wouldn't be for a long time yet. HE was just wondering. Nikki doesn't even know. So I thought it was okay. Anyway, yes, they did. I guess I thought you got that already haha sorry if it wasn't perfectly outright "we had sex" clear! Lol! I just kept dropping hints like: _"..thinking about earlier. Bradin had been so sweet afterwards... and at the door when he brought her home... Holding her close, whispering things in her ear for only her to hear..."_ and whatnot, but anywhooooooo, glad you liked the chapter! I aim to please –wink- whatever that means lol This chapter actually won't have much, if any, Brae/Resa, but next ch? That's a promise. Oh, and: **"and 13 pages..damn...u go girl! keep up the great work!"** lol! Thank you so much, enjoy this update!! And I do like it! –wink again lol-

**StrawberryCheeseCak3**, heyyyy, girl! Really?? No stepping on toes?? Not two left feet?? And just what song might that be, hmmm?? Sorry, lol, had to do the off topic first... –guilty look- Thank you so, soooo much! I did?? THANK YOU! Ahh, I love hearing things like that! Keeps me writing, fast! :D True siblings, yes... but... trouble always brews where there are good things, right? And hey, what's the matter with being a smart kid?? In fact, they (smart kids, I mean) go further in life and probably with a lot less hurts along the way, if you know what I mean. At least, that's what I think anyway. And if Cam and Nik waiting makes them smart, I suppose that makes Reese and Bradin stupid! –tongue smiley would go here. If smileys existed on this site, that is- Read and enjoy!

**Bj**, thanks, girl. It's ok. I'm just glad you love my story that much!! Running your whole battery down for it is so cool! Lol But I expect you to love this chapter and leave a better review THIS time... –gives you "the look"- teeheehee, I'm kidding but do enjoy it!!

**ShiaLover09**, ah, Mary! We still haven't talked! Blah. But as for your review, yep lol LONG chapter. Glad you liked it though!! And thank you for pointing out your favorite part! Lol I can't tell you how much fun that was to write! It's funny you guys always pick things that I loved writing as things you especially loved reading! Lol without knowing I loved them too, of course. Anyway, thanks! Really? But in my story "On The Edge of Sanity" Nikki was pregnant, remember? Lol But I know what you mean. And besides, I _think_ I kept them a little better in character this time then I did that time. A little anyway –wink – lol Bradin cheat too? Psshhhh never! ..right? Enjoy! (and don't worry, they'll talk fairly soon! And I hate it when there's NOTHING on TV too! Lol but damn, does it happen or what? It's like, the times you most wanna watch TV there's nada on! And you're like, BLAH! Lol hope you like this chapter!!)

**Ash Riley**, merci, merci, merci!! (I love that word lol Of course, I just love French! Hence it's mentioned in my profile haha) Anyway, I'm sooooooo glad you liked it and that it was so clear and that you could picture and all!! Like an actual book? Ahhh thank you!! Thank you soooo, so, so much! You're whole review was awesome!! I'm so happy right now! Makes me wanna update twice just for you lol! Unfortunately I can't cause it's not quite written in stone yet but soon and for now, you get this ch! Hope you like it!! Thank you so much, again. It means too much to explain. :D (Yes, forgiveness and love. Amazing forces. Anger too, you know... Love looks past anything and everything that's wrong, and so I think, sometimes, it hurts worse then it anything else. Wow, that was kinda... odd but yeah, lol, read on!

6Ellie6, I know... lol NO!! Pahaha it was supposed to be a cameo of sorts. Bradin/Jesse aren't the same person, obviously! LOL But anyway, yep, awkward convos but oh, well, and there will be Reese/Brae soon enough! Hope you like the update!!

I know, I know, I'm sure I talk far too much but I just can't help it! I love y'all and your support so much it's hard not to! So again, to _everyone_, thank you. More then you know. Even if you just think it's a story... knowing I have supporters like y'all? It means the world. Read and enjoy! –smiles-

* * *

**Chapter XIV**

_**Can Love Be a Lie?  
(Or Is It This Hate?)**_

"Nikki?" Bradin asked in a whisper, stopping short as he entered the kitchen. It was after 2am and Bradin had come down for a glass of water only to find his sister in the kitchen eating cookies with a glass of milk.

"Oh!" Nikki put her hand to her heart, "Brae... Sorry, I guess I'm jumpy when it's this quiet and all..." she said quietly.

Bradin shrugged, "I understand. What are you doing up, anyway?"

"Just got hungry. I actually haven't gone to sleep yet!" she laughed, "I've been in my room though, I mean. Just not sleeping, or even trying."

"Writing in that 'oh, so precious' journal of yours?" Bradin smirked.

"Yeah. Don't make fun of it!" Nikki frowned, jokingly. "And you?"

"Thirsty. Only I _have_ been asleep." He laughed.

"I see. Well don't let me stop you!"

Bradin smiled. He filled a glass with water and sipped it, sitting down at the table across from Nikki. "You never answered me."

Nikki raised her eyebrows, "Answered you what?"

"About what Derrick said." Bradin watched Nikki's face in the dim light. The light above the stove was on so he could make it out clearly. She seemed suddenly upset. "Am I, Nik?"

Nikki looked Bradin straight in the eye, "Why do you want to know?"

"Because he said it and I want to know what you think." Bradin said, matching Nikki's gaze.

"Well... why?"

"I just do, what?"

"I don't know..."

"You don't know what?"

"I don't know what, I meant."

"Well am I?"

There the conversation stopped.

"Why didn't we go back to Kansas with Derrick!?" Nikki changed the subject.

"Nikki..."

"Well, why!?" she half yelled.

"I don't know why you didn't go back, Nik, but I didn't go cause I didn't wanna see it! I didn't wanna be there and feel that! I didn't want to... to... I just... I just didn't." Bradin's voice, which had risen considerably, fell again.

"Well I didn't go cause I'm an idiot." Nikki stated.

"Nikki..."

--

Jay had been up all night. He sat in front of his computer screen trying to think of something completely horrible to say to his father in reply to that damned email he'd sent saying he was on his way. But nothing was coming to mind except, "I'll see you when you get here." But that wasn't right. He was going to send him packing as soon as he got there... He heard voices from somewhere else in the house. Loud... angry? Not exactly...

He got up and slipped quietly out of his room. The kitchen. It was Bradin and Nikki he realized. He stopped short at the door, he was thinking about going in but decided to listen instead, no matter how rude it was, he felt he needed to.

--

"I am! I was scared, Bradin! Scared!" Now Nikki was talking above a normal tone.

"So was I, Nikki! What do you think I didn't wanna see it, or feel it, or just be there period for? Because I had better things to do!? Nikki, I was scared to _death _of being there again. I'm still scared to death of it." Bradin's voice was loud also.

"But it's worse with me cause I don't even have a damned reason!" Nikki yelled. She didn't cuss often, but when she was upset...

"Fuck, Nikki, like mine were real reasons. They weren't. They're not. They're excuses cause I was scared but I won't admit it."

"But at least you were scared _of_ something! I was just scared. Scared for nothing. I didn't even think about it, I was just scared." Nikki wasn't yelling anymore, but she wasn't quiet either.

"And what was I scared _of_, Nikki?! The same _damn _thing you were!"

"And what's that, huh?!" Nikki, loudly, wanted to know.

15 seconds passed. "Well!?" Nikki yelled.

"Of..." Bradin couldn't word it.

"Of what, Bradin!? What?" Nikki felt hot tears rolling down her cheeks but she didn't care.

"I was scared of them."

"They're dead!" Nikki spat. The words hurt her even as she spoke them and by the wince of Bradin's features, she knew they hurt him too.

"I know... but... I mean, I know, I know!! Damn, I can't explain it, Nikki! You know you can't explain that..."

"How could you be scared of two dead people!?" Nikki was so upset that she had taken to detaching herself from the situation, something she did often when she was really upset and hurting.

"I wasn't scared of _them_ but just... I mean..."

"Just what? What do you mean!? What were you scared of!?" Nikki raged on. Her pain turning into anger as unexplainable pains often do. "Tell me!!" she yelled.

Bradin looked at Nikki. She was crying, or at least tears were pouring from her eyes. He felt his heart jerk. "DAMN IT, NIKKI, _I DON'T FUCKING KNOW_!!"

Everything went silent.

"Then neither do I." Nikki stood up unsteadily. She realized she was shaking.

"Nik, please..." Bradin stood also.

"No, Bradin. I don't know. I can't remember dad." Nikki lied. "I don't know, I'm sorry." She ran out of the kitchen. Jay had quickly moved away from the door so he wouldn't get hit, anticipating somebody would be coming out.

Bradin stared straight ahead, his hands hung loosely at his sides, tears now falling from his eyes. Then he _did_ remind her of their father. Otherwise it wouldn't have hurt her like that. He realized she must see some of him in Bradin every minute of every day and that it must hurt her too. He also realized he saw their mother in _her_ and that _that_ hurt him. But he had always just ignored it, he loved Nikki too much to say it and he loved her too much to let it bother him. Why did he have to be the strong one, anyway? He fucking hated being the oldest... but at the same time he was glad he was... he wouldn't wish the pain he felt on either of his siblings... Nor would he wish the responsibility on them either. He loved them too much.

Well, damn, if even he couldn't see that he was just like their dad. He walked out the back door and sat down on the steps. After thinking for a minute he knew he needed to go talk to Nikki. Standing up he went back in the house and into the living room. He realized Jay was sitting on the arm of the couch. He had probably heard the whole thing... screw that.

He looked away and hurried upstairs. "Nik?" he knocked on her door, "Nikki, please let me talk to you."

"Go away!!" Nikki yelled, she turned her stereo on 10 so she wouldn't have to hear anything Bradin said.

Bradin cursed. Then an idea hit him. He went into his room and grabbed his cell phone. "What's going on?" Derrick's voice. Bradin looked over at him. "Um... Nikki's upset... I'm just trying to calm her down."

"Why's she upset?"

"She... uh.. she misses mom and dad, D." Bradin decided to just tell Derrick the truth.

"So do I, Bradin..." Derrick's voice broke.

Not now... Bradin didn't like being the pillar to both of them at once... it was just too much sometimes. But he came over and hugged Derrick close to him while dialing Nikki's number with his blocked.

"Who the fuck is this? You keep calling me and never fucking say anything!" Nikki's voice came over the line from her bedroom. Clearly she was pissed at someone who must have been making prank phone calls on her with a clocked number.

"Nikki, it's me. Please come out here and just... just talk to me. I didn't mean to hurt you. I didn't know..."

Silence. _Click_. Bradin sighed.

"Is Nikki okay?" Derrick wanted to know, he was extremely worried looking.

"Yes, Nikki's fine. She's just... she's just mad at me I think." Bradin tried to calm Derrick.

"Brae, don't let her be mad! I want us to be happy!" Tears rolled down Derrick's cheeks.

Bradin didn't know what to do so he just held him, "It's okay, she's not that mad, D. It's alright." He rocked his little brother back and forth. "Come on, we'll see what Jay's doing..." He led Derrick out of their room where he collided with Nikki. "Whoa, sorry..." Bradin mumbled.

"D, what's wrong?" Nikki asked concerned, ignoring Bradin.

"I don't want you to be sad, Nikki... Please don't be sad..." Derrick pleaded.

"Who said I was sad?" Nikki wanted to know, hugging Derrick.

"Bradin did." Derrick murmured, his face on Nikki's shoulder.

Nikki shot Bradin a look to which he replied, "I only said you were upset. He asked what was wrong with you. I said you were upset. The truth. Big deal, what the hell, Nikki?"

"I'll tell you what the hell, Bradin Westerly!" Nikki lightly pushed Derrick away from her and took a step towards Bradin. Jay was coming up the stairs at this point, hearing voices being raised once more.

"I don't ever wanna fucking see you again!! Do you know why? Because I hate you! I hate everything to do with you because you're just fucking like fucking dad was and I can't fucking take that!!" Both teens were now completely ignoring the "no language around Derrick" rule.

Bradin didn't reply.

"Well, fucking say something!!" Nikki screamed.

Jay was on the landing. He stopped short and didn't say anything but he was ready to move in if this got physical.

"What? What do you want me to say? What can I fucking say to that, Nikki... Okay? You want me to say okay? What!?" Bradin's voice gradually increased in volume and anger.

"I don't care what the fuck you say to be honest because, like I said, I don't ever wanna have anything to fucking do with you ever fucking again!!" Nikki said, her whole being full of anger, mostly at herself. If only she would take it _out_ on herself now...

"That's fine then... if that's what you want, that's fucking _fine_!!" Bradin screamed back at her. He felt like somebody had pulled his heart halfway out of his chest and left it there for the pain to slowly kill him.

"That is what I want and I hope you never forget how much you hurt me, Bradin! I bet mom and dad are real damn proud of you!" she spat out.

Everybody standing there, even Derrick, knew this was a weak point in Bradin's character. It only helped to prove it by the way he breathed in and stiffened to keep from showing any emotion.

"STOP!!" Derrick cried out in a desperate sob. Tears were pouring down his face and he was shaking. Jay realized that everyone sometimes forgot that Derrick was only 9 years old. He went over and gave him a hug. "Go on downstairs, alright, buddy? Watch some TV while I talk to your brother and sister."

Derrick nodded and turned to go downstairs. He looked over his shoulder and, looking Bradin in the eyes, said, "You said you'd never let anyone hurt her... or me. You lied, Bradin." With that he trip-walked down the stairs in a hurry. He was referring to what he had heard Nikki say a few minutes before. Which in fact, wasn't even true and was only Nikki's broken heart bleeding... Unfortunately words do hurt and Bradin took those words.

Bradin's face was cold. He couldn't show anything. Not now. Not with Nikki, who he now knew couldn't stand being around him nearly as fucking much as he had thought she could, and Jay standing there. Not with them looking at him and not with Derrick having been right. He had said he'd never let anyone hurt them and then _he_ was the one to hurt them. He stood still, his arms hung tensely at his sides, his hands almost curled into fists, his face blank and rigid.

"Um... I'm sure both you guys said things you didn't really mean and-" Jay started but Nikki cut him off.

"I meant them." She stated, unashamed.

It took everything in Bradin to keep from wincing at this remark.

"Nikki... I don't really think you meant-"

"I meant it. All of it. For the love of-"

"Alright, you meant it, I get it..." Jay wouldn't let her finish. He looked at Bradin to see if he was going to say anything. However, the look on the older teen's face told Jay that was not going to say anything now and that he might never say anything again. "I think you two should... cool off." It was all he could think of.

Nikki gave Bradin a death glare, turned on her heal, lifted her head higher and walked, loudly, down the stairs. Damn. It. To. Hell. She hadn't meant any of that shit, she was just mad... upset... she missed her mother... She realized she had become mother, as well as sister, to her brothers, and it was really getting to her. Not that she minded it, she just minded _why _she had to be "mother." Their real mother being dead was not a good reason in her mind and it was scaring her how much she and Bradin had filled the places of their parents... Derrick becoming the special child who they would do anything for and yet, all at the same time, they were siblings and best friends... And, above everything else, they were just kids... broken kids slowly, slowly healing... And now, now Nikki had broken Bradin worse, just when he was starting to heal some... How could she do that... now she had to swallow her pride and apologize... Which might not even work, Bradin had already been hurt so much in so many ways by so many different people... she couldn't imagine being her brother... and she had tried.

Bradin's look remained. Even when Jay touched him on the shoulder, making him want to give in and crumble. "What?"

"It'll be alright... she didn't mean any of that, Brae-"

"I think she did, Jay." Bradin finally dropped his eyes, showing that he was hurt, yet only scraping the very, very top layer of just how hurt he really was. He turned and walked into his room, pushing the door shut behind him, only it hit something and bounced back open slowly. Jay watched as Bradin stepped out on his balcony and then disappeared down the side. He didn't know where Bradin was headed but he didn't feel like stopping him either. Nor did he think he could even if he tried.

--

"Reese... please pick up the phone. I just... I really need to talk to somebody right now." Bradin left a third message. Okay, this was getting to seem desperate... oh, screw that, he _was _desperate. But she wasn't answering... she probably wasn't even awake. It _was _after 3. But he was always there for her when she needed him... no matter what the hour was. He tried her number once more. Still no answer. "Teresa..." he quit talking and hung up before his voice showed that he was crying. This was stupid. He was stronger then this... He was _supposed_ to be stronger then this anyway... He got up, he had been sitting in the sand not too far away from his house, and headed in the general direction of Sarah Sloan's. Halfway there he made a sudden decision and turned in the direction of Joey Marvin's apartment. Getting into the building he dragged up the stairs and knocked on Joey's door.

After a minute the door opened and, just as Bradin had suspected and hoped, there were more people then just Joey there. "Bradin! Come in, you look bad. Drink?" Joey had obviously already had a little too much to drink himself. Good.

"Thanks." Bradin accepted the beer Joey had been holding and flopped on the couch amongst two other people he didn't really know that well. Just their first names, Tiffany and Mike.

"Brandon, wasn't it?" Mike slurred.

"Sure, whatever, close enough." Bradin laughed, the party atmosphere already starting to sooth away his worries.

Mike grinned and nodded. Then he put a hand on Bradin's shoulder and said seriously, "Tiff's my girl, you got that?"

Bradin nodded. "Yeah, don't worry, I've got a girl..." even as he said it he wondered about Teresa and he. He took a swig of the drink, he really didn't want to think about that right now. But this would take care of that...

* * *

**Ahhhhhhhh I love this song. Whoops, sorry, lol It's Sorry (Jonas Brothers) btw, in case anyone wondered. But anyhow, hope you liked the chapter and I hope you'll tell me what ya thought!! Until next time!**

_Lotsa love,  
Anna Christie_


	16. 15: Because You Love Me

**I do not own Summerland. (again)**

**Sorry for the wait. Unreliable internet right now but I'm gonna do my very best to keep updating fairly quickly. Whatever you do, do NOT think I quit this story. It's just the internet is kinda hit & miss right now so yeah. But anyway, before I can let you read, I **_**have**_** to thank y'all!!**

**StrawberryCheeseCak3**, what the hell is wrong with them? Hehehe You'll just have to continue reading, my dear friend! -big smile- and LOL love you're saying, girl! You know I do that too? I'm like, "Holy stinkin' monkeys chewing on pina colada suckers!! Pahahahah Yes, well, ANYWAY... "**Teens these days... tsk tsk tsk Not too good these days, no respect Wags finger- Looks down at finger Well.. that.. was ... bizarre. Pulls finger away Giddy smile GREAT STORY! Keep going. "** LOL lovin' that!! You're so funny! Now, not to imitate you or anything- well, actually, I am trying to imitate you! So here goes; GREAT REVIEW! Keep going! Lol hope you like!! (and off topic: SING EVERYDAY!!)

**ShiaLover09**, Eek, that's a bad thing. I didn't want it to not be understood. Oh wait, I think you did get it lol –reads back over review- Yeah, lol, that's pretty much about it. See, Nikki's been seeing their dad in Bradin so much lately that it's apparently bothering her senseless so she just blew up with anguish and frustration. Especially because Brae was asking her if she thought he was like their father too, like Derrick had said. I hope it makes a little more sense now. There should be a little more "explanation" as the story plays out. But do let me know if it's still confusing or w/e and I'll do my best to clear it up for ya! And thanks for the honesty, it means a lot! In fact, your review got me to thinking about it and I'm trying to "explain" it more in the later chapters. Through the characters, of course. Thanks! I'm glad you liked the ending! Lol Yes, Bradin plus alcohol equal not good consequences! Haha But this time, he might get out okay... who knows, read on! (it sucks you're not on AIM much...)

**froggy2045**, Becca, Becca, Becca!! –cough- I'll stop now. Ahhhh hahahah I can't even think of anything to say to your review except, THANK YOU SOOOO MUCH!! I absolutely LOVE hearing things like that from readers! I know you're lovin' it, so keep right on, girl!! Just the same, hope you enjoy this ch!! (and don't cry too hard, I don't think I could ever keep Brae and Nikki mad at each other for TOO long!! –wink- love you!!)

**6Ellie6**, haha Yes, Nikki was kinda mean, wasn't she? Poor Bradin... we should make it a point to hug him next chance we get! Are you with me? Pahaha Hm... I dunno, _is_ he? Why, I've got it, mate! Read and find out! Lol Thank you so very much!! Addictive is good, no? –wink- Hope you like this chapter!!

**Ash Riley, **HEY!! I loved, loved the PM you sent me!! I'm gonna reply to it btw, don't think you scared me away or something lol! I just haven't gotten a chance, like I mentioned, internet's goofy right now... But anyway, on to wonderful review! Hahaha, I KNOW! Tell me about it. –mocks terribly- _"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me."_ Okay, I'm done mocking now, but they were a TOTAL idiot. I bet that was the same person who, stupidly nonetheless, said _"There is no such thing as a stupid question."_ Cause I mean, really, yes, there is. Haha Just ask my BFF, she is queen of the stupid questions and even she admits it!! Lol Okay, I have totally "rabbit trailed" away from the actualy review, haven't I? If I can just find my way back I'll continue... –looks for my own tracks... AH! Here we go!- I'm so glad you liked the way I wrote it!! Lol gracias! I agree. In fact, I believe love is the _most_ powerful thing in the universe. I don't think anything tops it. Ever. But anyway, yes, I'll shut up now!! I hope you like the update!! Hopefully it's long enough for y'all too, it IS 9 pages!

**Now, after I have officially talked your ears off, (God, I hate that saying) you can read, read, READ!! Ahem... well, you get it. Enjoy! **

* * *

**Chapter XV**

**_Because You Love Me_**

"No, just get away from me..." Bradin slurred, sitting up but suddenly feeling horribly dizzy and dropping his head back on the bed. He wasn't even sure how he had wound up on a bed to begin with... or where this girl had come from... or where his shirt was... oh, shit no. God, please say he hadn't done anything with anybody...

"Why? It's just us... well, I mean, except for Joey and Katie over there against the wall... but they don't care, they're 'busy...' " a girl whose name, Bradin remembered was Chloe, ran a hand over Bradin's chest. He tensed under her touch. She smiled. "Come on, baby..."

"No!" Bradin pushed Chloe away from him with force. This only made her more sensual. "You like it rough?" she asked in a murmur, tracing his cheek with her hand.

"Get the fuck away from me!" Bradin suddenly wished he hadn't drank so much...

"Oh, come on, baby!" Chloe said in a seducing tone. "You won't regret it." She kissed Bradin's mouth, running her tongue over his closed lips.

_Yes, I will..._ He moaned in spite of himself as Chloe climbed on top of him and started running kisses over his chest. Not thinking about much else, Bradin gave in, opening his mouth and deepening the kiss as he ran his hands under her shirt and let them wander, exploring wherever they wanted. After a few minutes of this, the tables had turned and Bradin was above Chloe, his hands found her waist and moved to her shorts' button. He stopped himself before undoing it however and jerked off of her, laying beside her, breathing heavy. "I can't do this, go away!" He was angry with her and, more, with himself.

"Come on!" Chloe repeated. Come on? Again? Was that all this girl could even say?

"Fuck off." Bradin mumbled. Sitting up and swinging his legs over the side of the bed, he found his shirt and pulled it back over his head before getting to his feet. Dizziness swept over him as he stood up and he lost balance but caught himself before he fell.

"Where are you going!?"

Bradin didn't even bother turning around to flip her off... he did it over his shoulder instead.

"Oh, screw you, bastard!!" Chloe jumped up, flew past Bradin and stormed out the bedroom door. Bradin smirked. Bitch. He stumbled out of the bedroom and through the living room where most of Joey's guests had passed out, high, over dosed or extremely intoxicated. Bradin left the apartment with no destination in mind. He certainly wasn't going home and have Jay catch him like this, he was sober enough to realize that. Actually he wasn't sober at all... But somehow home stuck out in his mind as a dangerous place to be right this minute... What time was it anyway? He tried to think where his cell phone was but it wasn't on him so he must have left it... at... somewhere... he must have left it somewhere. It was, in reality, after 4 in the morning.

The next thing Bradin realized was that he was at the Coleman household... outside their back door. He fell in the sand and leaned his back against the house. He couldn't be here... He should leave... should definitely leave... now...

--

"Teresa..." Rachel Stellar stood at the back door to her house looking at something, or rather _someone_, laying in the sand by the pack porch.

"Yes, ma'am" Teresa asked, stepping into the kitchen and coming over to her aunt. She had had an amazing time with her mom and aunt the night before and the mood change showed on her face as a smile this morning. Only one thing bothered her and that was the 4 messages Bradin had left her last night... She had called him as soon as she woke up and got them, which had been about 7:30, she didn't know why she was waking up so early lately, but got no answer. She'd have to call him again as soon as her aunt was done with her now that it was a little later... well, half an hour later to be exact, but still... She had to get him cause she was scared for him... he had sounded close to tears on the last message.

"Forgive me if I'm mistaken but... isn't that your boyfriend?" Rachel pointed to the, apparently sleeping figure, lying in the sand outside their house.

"Fiancé, Aunt Rach-" Teresa looked where her aunt was pointing and stopped short, frowning. "Oh, my God... What the hell?" Teresa asked the air in a breath and slipped out the door, dropping to the ground and kneeling beside Bradin. "Brae?" she asked, checking his pulse. It was normal but he didn't even respond in the slightest. "Damn it, Bradin." She mumbled, suddenly realizing that he was drunk.

"What's going on out here?" Karen Coleman's voice carried out through the open kitchen window with a cheerful tone. She frowned, concerned, when she saw Bradin. Coming out on the porch she asked Teresa, "Is he okay?"

"I think he's drunk..." Teresa figured there wasn't much point in trying to hide it.

This time Karen frowned in puzzlement. "I didn't think Bradin was that kind of boy..."

_You don't know the half of it._ Teresa thought, but aloud she said, "Well... he _has_ gotten drunk in the past when he was really upset..." she made it sound like it was a once in a blue moon thing. _Really upset or just really stupid..._ she added in her head.

"Let's see if we can get him in the house." Karen decided, coming off the porch with her sister in tow.

Between the three of them it was easy to get Bradin into the house and lay him on the couch.

"Well let's go make some breakfast. No point standing here watching him till he wakes up..." Karen laughed. "Come on, girls!" she said to her sister and daughter, making them laugh.

Karen certainly was cheerful this morning! And yesterday after she got home and on the phone the day before that... Rachel wondered what this "Sean" was like... she'd have to meet him. And see if he had an eligible brother!

"My goodness, you're mother's in a good mood!" Rachel laughed. Walking with Teresa into the kitchen where Karen already was.

"Yeah... she is." Teresa smiled. She had noticed this too... Maybe Teresa had been wrong about Sean... but it still hurt her to think her mother was "over" her dad enough to date someone...

Karen went to make pancakes but realized that they were out of most of what she needed to make them. In fact, they were out of most of everything. Puzzled she started to say this to Rachel then remembered they hadn't gone shopping this week.

"What is it?" Rachel asked, coming up to her sister.

"We have no food here!" she laughed. "Hmm, I'm going to run up to the drug store and see if I can grab milk and cereal. I'll be right back!"

"Alright, would you like me to come with you?" Rachel asked, still not having had a chance to talk to her sister alone about Sean.

"Well you could, I suppose. Teresa, will you make sure you keep an eye on Lillian?"

"Yes, ma'am! She'll be fine, stop worrying about her!" Teresa laughed. Her mother had been "too" protective of Lillian ever since the accident.

Karen smiled in a motherly way. "I have to worry about you girls, you're my only daughters and I love you!"

Teresa smiled back, gave her mother a hug and pushed her out the front door. "Just go..." she laughed. Once they had driven off Teresa went into the living room to find that Bradin was sitting up, holding his head.

"Hi." She smirked.

Bradin looked up and met Teresa's eye. She was not happy... but it wasn't a pissed not happy... It was a disappointed not happy, Bradin determined. Fuck, more of that... just great. He looked back down.

It was silent a minute then Bradin mumbled, "Shit..."

"Maybe you should... go to the bathroom before my mom's rug gets ruined." Teresa suggested, realizing what that "shit" probably meant.

Bradin nodded and Teresa helped him up the stairs and into her bathroom where he promptly threw up. Thankfully for Teresa, he had made it to the toilet first. Teresa grimaced and entered her bedroom, pulling the bathroom door halfway shut behind her. She couldn't stand watching other people throw up.

After a few minutes Bradin felt a little better, washed his face off and went into Teresa's bedroom to find her bustling around cleaning it up.

"Oh!" she stopped short, bumping into him. "Sorry. You okay?"

"Yeah..." Bradin groaned. He had a headache the size of California...

"Head hurt?" she asked.

"No..." Bradin said sarcastically.

"Damn, I'm just asking..." Teresa grumbled and went back to picking things up off her floor. "You can lay down if you want." She motioned Bradin to the bed. He accepted the offer and fell, face first, on her bed.

Teresa glanced over at him. She still didn't know what the messages had been about last night... Putting up the pile of dirty clothes she had in her hands she closed the hamper and came over to the bed, sitting down beside Bradin. "Hey..." she rubbed a hand over his back. "You called me a bunch last night... And I tried to call you back about 7:30 this morning, when I woke up, but you didn't answer... I guess you were outside my house?"

"Probably... I didn't mean to pass out there... I don't know what I was even thinking..." Bradin mumbled into the pillow. Teresa was being sweet...

"I'm sorry I didn't wake up to the call, my phone was on vibrate but not near me..." Teresa admitted the truth. "And I'm sorry I rejected your call... my mom and aunt and I were talking and just... everything was so... so like it used to be that I didn't want to interrupt it... It was bitchy of me and I'm sorry."

Bradin lifted his head up and turned to look at her. "Thanks." He said softly, letting her know he appreciated her apologizing to him, then dropped his head back down. Damn that headache.

"You're welcome, baby. I really am sorry..." Teresa leaned over and kissed his cheek. "Now tell me what was wrong? Why'd you go out and drink? I don't think you were just partying. Not after the messages you left me."

Bradin groaned. "I don't even want to remember that..."

"What's 'that?' " Teresa asked gently.

"The reason I drank..." Bradin mumbled. His head being in the pillow made it hard to understand him but Teresa was used to it because he'd been drunk around Teresa twice before and had mumbled everything he said then too.

Continuing to rub her hand over his back Teresa said soothingly, "I doubt you're going to forget it... you might as well talk about it. You'll feel better."

Bradin murmured something unintelligible.

"Well, you sounded really upset... And then you went and drank and didn't go home OR stay where you drank at... So I'm worried about you..."

Bradin rolled over. "Can I sleep first and then see about talking?" he asked with an impish grin. "Cause my head is-"

"About to kill me." Teresa finished with him and smirked. "Yes." She smiled softly, "I love you."

Bradin nodded slightly. He wasn't saying "I love you" anymore... He wasn't sure she meant it and he didn't want to admit he still loved her until he knew she did.

Teresa noticed the lack of a reply but she didn't let it show that it hurt her. "I'll let you sleep now." She stood up, pulled her thick curtains together to try and shut out some of the sunlight and left the room, closing the door behind her.

Teresa's phone rang once... She hurried on downstairs... Twice... She grabbed it and looked at the ID. Robertson, Jay? Oh, _Jay_! "Hello?" Teresa picked it up.

"Hi, Teresa... um.. Bradin wouldn't happen to be at your house would he? Cause all I got on his phone was some girl ticked off that I 'woke her up before noon.' " Jay Robertson said in a mocking female voice.

Girl? Teresa frowned. "He's here." she hid that frown in her voice. "He's asleep though..." she added, not sure whether to let on that he had been drunk or not.

"Asleep?"

"Yeah... well, he came here earlier and like, said he hadn't slept all night so I told him to go lay down and he promptly fell asleep!" Teresa laughed. She decided she'd better let Bradin deal with Bradin being drunk.

"I see. Did he mention where he was last night?" Jay wasn't sure he'd ever get this information out of Bradin himself so a casual approach with the girlfriend might work.

"No," Teresa said truthfully, "he didn't actually. He just got here like, about 8..." Well, they _discovered_ him about 8 anyway... so it wasn't a total lie...

Jay glanced at the clock on the wall. It was half past eight now. "Well, thanks. Just tell him I said to be home by dinner time, would you do that? Or to at least call me by then..." Jay tried not to sound like he had been that worried, but, truth was, he really had been... all night.

"I'll tell him." Teresa promised.

"Alright, thank you, mate." Jay's true Australian came through in that sentence. He was relieved to have found that Bradin okay and had relaxed a good bit.

Teresa giggled lightly. "You're welcome, bye, Jay!" she said politely.

"G'bye." Jay hung up his line.

Flipping her phone closed Teresa went back to frowning. A girl picked up his phone? How dare he be with another girl- She mentally slapped herself for that thought. No, he was "entitled" to cheat too... at least twice before she could even say anything to him. Not that she was saying he had cheated or anything but... well... Oh, how could she be upset!? _She _was the one who had cheated on _him_ and then he had proven that he loved her by giving himself to her. And he really did give himself to her... It was his first time, she knew that. He had even said so that time to his aunt when she'd accused them of sleeping together... But still, she was curious, if nothing else, as to how some girl got a hold of his phone... Unless he loaned it to her. Or maybe he lost it. Or maybe he just left it lying on somebody's table at whoever's place he'd been the night before... He hadn't just gotten drunk in his room, she was certain. Teresa realized there were numerous reasons somebody else might have his phone, girl or not.

"Mama!" Teresa laughed as her mother came into the house carrying bags of far more then cereal and milk.

"Oh, I figured we needed this stuff anyway, but we still have to go shopping, preferably today!" she added.

"How 'bout we eat something, clean up that awful living room and then maybe go out to lunch and go shopping after that?" Rachel suggested, setting down two more bags.

"Sounds great to me!" Teresa smiled. "And maybe Bradin will feel like standing up by noon and he might go with us?"

"I don't see why not. You make the breakfast, Rachel, I'm going to get Lillian her bath so it will be over with for today."

"Anything else in the car?" Rachel asked, while nodding agreement to Karen's suggestion.

"I think we got it all but Teresa you go out and check, would you, honey?"

"Sure, Mama." Teresa smiled and practically skipped out to the car. Nope nothing. Except her mother's purse. Teresa grabbed it, locked the car and went back inside. "Got it all." She reported.

"Good. Oh, thank you!" Karen said as she noticed Teresa handing her purse. "Incidentally, sweetheart, where _is_ Bradin?"

"He's asleep in my room. He er... threw up, but thankfully in my toilet," Teresa laughed before continuing, "and then I told him he could lay down if he needed to and he went to sleep. As far as I know he did anyway, I actually left the room." She shrugged.

"Okay." Karen said. She disappeared into her room and emerged again with Lillian in her arms. "I'm bathing her now, would you make that breakfast I decided on, Rach?"

"Sure..." Rachel winked and went into the kitchen. Karen laughed and went into the downstairs bathroom.

Teresa furrowed her brow and then giggled. Her mother must have bought her favorite breakfast! She skipped into the kitchen, "Aunt Rachel, is it homemade strawberry waffles with fresh strawberries?!" she wanted to know, getting in her aunt's way.

Her aunt just winked and shooed her out of the kitchen. Teresa smiled. She couldn't believe that in just one night things had gone back to feeling so normal... what had happened anyway? No, wait. She didn't want to know. She didn't care so long as it stayed this way.

"Hi." Bradin's voice startled Teresa.

"Whoa!" she gasped, turning around. Laughing she said, "I thought you were gonna sleep."

"I was but... couldn't." Bradin laughed slightly but winced. _Damn_ his head hurt...

"Awe..." Teresa soothed. "Come here..." she took a step forward and so did Bradin. Pulling him close to her she put her arms around his back and her head on his shoulder and said softly. "Do you want anything to eat? We're just about to eat breakfast, my aunt's cooking it."

"Sure. Thanks..." Bradin answered, he was also speaking softly. Closing his eyes and leaning his head on Teresa's, he whispered, "I'm sorry about all the messages last night... that was stupid."

"No, baby, it wasn't. If you needed to talk then you needed to talk." Teresa looked up at his face. "Do you still need to?"

Bradin winced once more, but not because of his head this time. He stiffened and started to pull away from Teresa.

Teresa noticed his change in attitude and held to him tight, so he wouldn't leave. She wrapped her arms around his neck and said sweetly, "What happened last night, baby? What is it?"

"It's nothing. Nothing..." Bradin muttered, tensing at Teresa's tender touch, not wanting to go over everything from the night before. "Nothing happened..."

"You're not telling me the truth, Bradin." Teresa said, her forehead against his. "Tell me what happened. What upset you so bad?"

Bradin let his eyes fall shut, wishing Teresa would just hold him for the rest of the day. Or his life... "I don't really... I don't wanna talk about it."

"You did last night." Teresa said quietly.

"Last night was last night, I don't now, okay?" He said testily, opening his eyes, frustration showing in them.

"Okay... that's fine." The 16-year-old agreed softly. She pulled away from him some and smiled. "It's okay." Teresa knew when to drop things with him, knew when to let things go for the moment and knew to be patient with him when he was hurting. "You wanna sit down?" she motioned to the living room.

Bradin nodded mutely and the two teens walked into the living room and sat down on the couch. They faced each other and Teresa took Bradin's hand in hers and held it tightly, afraid to let it go for some reason... as though she'd be letting him down if she did. He didn't seem to mind because he squeezed it and pulled her slightly closer to him, leaning his head on her shoulder and murmuring something about his head hurting.

"Shh..." Teresa comforted him. "Are you sure you don't want to talk about it?" she pried in a soft tone.

She could feel Bradin breathe in deeply and his muscles tense even more then they already were. He lifted his head and pushed her back from him, taking both her hands in his, their eyes level. "I want to talk to my mother." He said, serious. Not a crack of emotion in his voice. His eyes indecipherable to his fiancée in that moment.

Teresa's heart wrenched violently so that she was sure even he could see it jerk in her chest, which was absurd but still... Quietly she tried to think of something to say. "I'm so sorry, baby... I... I wish there was something... I... If I knew what... I mean... um..." she couldn't find words for what she meant... what was it she meant anyway? She dropped her eyes from his and muttered something else that made no sense, she knew.

Bradin released her hands and turned away. She could see a tear trickle down his cheek. Silently.

"Oh, baby..." Before she even realized it she had thrown her arms around his neck and was kissing him softly, whispering to him, soothingly. He reacted by falling limp into her embrace and resting his head against her neck, his eyes shut, a few stray tears falling form his eyes and disappearing in her hair as it absorbed them and dried them away.

"What happened, Brae? Please tell me what happened." Teresa pleaded after a minute more of just holding him. Without moving his head he whispered into her ear. "I can't... I... I don't even know... It was..." It was what? He asked himself. Crazy? Well, yeah, but... that wasn't what he was looking for. It was... awkward and insane and made no sense to him? Yes... still not quite right though. It was agonizing to hear Nikki spat the things she did? It was... but that's not what he wanted to say. "It was what?" he realized Teresa was whispering the question again.

"..weird." He finished. Though that still wasn't right.

"Weird?" Teresa echoed in a question.

"Yes... No! I mean, I ... I don't know..." He voice was strained with exasperation.

"Why don't you tell me the whole-" Teresa stopped short. Her mother had entered the room.

"Oh, I'm sorry." she apologized and started to leave but the mood had been broken. Bradin had pulled away quickly and now sat beside Teresa, his face down, his hands limp in his lap.

"No, it's okay..." Teresa gave her mother a weak smile. "Actually..." a sudden thought struck her. "Bradin might like to talk to you..." she didn't know why she said this. Bradin had given her no reason to say it. In fact, she figured he'd most likely be mad she'd suggested such a thing. She was surprised however when Bradin looked up and met her mother's gaze, nodding slightly.

Before he looked back down, Teresa got a good look at him. His normally handsome face were worn looking... stressed. He was tired, Teresa realized. And not just partying tired. He more tired then that... emotionally tired, she decided.

She put her arms around his shoulders and snuggled her head against his, but still faced her mother, who, by this time, had come fully into the living room and was in the process of sitting down on a chair across from the two young people.

"You need to talk to me, honey?" Karen asked Bradin gently.

He looked up once more and tensed at the caring face of Karen Coleman.

"Damn..." he muttered, though loud enough for both women to catch it. "You are so much like my mother was..." he told Karen, avoiding any eye contact with her but not looking down either.

"Does that hurt you?" Teresa was surprised at her mother's choice of questioning.

Bradin seemed to ponder this for a second before replying. "Not really, no. It never has... but right now it's just... well, something happened last night to make me wish more then anything that my mother was still alive..."

"What happened, honey?" Karen asked in that gentle, motherly tone.

"My sister... we just... we got in this huge fight." Bradin answered, his voice barely more then a whisper.

"A fight?" Karen asked, prodding him to continue.

"Yeah... she said I reminded her of our dad and that... that she didn't want to be around me because of it... and then Derrick screamed at us to stop, I think we had both kind of forgotten he was even there, and Nikki told me..." he stopped, trying to remember exactly what Nikki had said.

Karen waited patiently.

"She just... I don't know..." he dropped his face again. After a second of silence he looked back up and spit out the whole story from start to finish. He wasn't sure why it came so easily but it did and he was grateful once he had finished... it felt good to have gotten it off his chest.

"Oh, honey..." Karen got up and came over to the couch. Sitting down on the other side of Bradin she embraced him in a hug. Teresa had let go of him when she realized what her mother was doing and now she sat and watched the two... She was almost jealous that her mother would pay such attention to her financé and not to her when _she_ was hurting...

Pulling away from Bradin, Karen said, "I'm sure Nikki didn't mean most of that..."

Bradin just groaned. "I don't know... maybe not..." he mumbled. Teresa forgot her jealousy, feeling the pain in his voice, and put her arms around his waist. He took her left hand with his right and squeezed it gently.

"Why don't you try talking to her, sweetheart?" Karen asked.

"Breakfast, guys!!" Rachel's voice called from the kitchen.

"Thank you, we'll be right there!!" Teresa called back.

"Cause I don't know what to say. Or whether she'd even listen to me..." Bradin sighed. "Thanks for listening though... both of you." He said, turning his head to look at Teresa. Both mother and daughter smiled and in that moment Bradin saw just how much they were alike.

"You're welcome. I still think you should talk to her though..." Karen stood her ground even though she was being gentle.

"Well, I don't know... I might..." Bradin actually thought that would be the last thing he did. After all, wasn't Nikki the one who started all that shit anyway?

"Would you like something to eat?" Karen asked, standing up.

"Yes, ma'am, thank you." Bradin answer politely.

Karen smiled. "Honey," she looked at Teresa, "Would you mind changing your sister and bringing her to the table?"

"Yes, ma'am." Teresa hugged Bradin, stood up and disappeared into her mother's room.

"Bradin," Karen started seriously.

He looked at her as he stood up, "Hmm?"

"You do realize I could, and probably should, tell your aunt about you drinking last night, right?"

Bradin looked away. He nodded.

"I won't." Bradin looked back at her, his face slightly surprised, mostly relieved.

"_But_," Karen continued, "don't you ever let me catch you drunk again, do you understand?"

"Yes, ma'am." Bradin nodded.

"I'm not trying to be mean, honey, but it's not a good habit to form. Know what I mean? And besides," Now Karen had a twinkle in her eye, "I wouldn't want my daughter marrying a drunk!" she winked and Bradin laughed knowing she was joking that he was a drunk.

"I'll watch it." He said.

Karen smiled. "Good, now come eat something! You must be starved."

"Weeeeeeee!!" Teresa came out of her mother's room swinging a laughing Lillian around in her arms. "Hey!!" she cooed to her baby sister. Lillian giggled loudly.

Bradin smiled looking at her. She looked up and caught his eye, a smile lighting up her whole face. Maybe everything would be okay between them after all...

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**Reviews, merci?** **(I should figure out how to say "review" in French! haha) Love y'all lots'n'lots!**

_Xoxo, and no, I'm not Gossip Girl... or __**am**__ I? You know you love me! –laughs uncontrollably so as to confuse everyone even further-  
__Anna Christie_


	17. 16: Painful Memories

**I do not own Summerland.**

**Okay, so I don't have but a second, almost literally, to do this, so here goes!**

**froggy2045**, thank you, thank you, thank you, girl! A million times over, as I've said, I love getting your reviews!! (As I do everyone else's too!) Awe, thanks! And yeah, I didn't want him to cheat... just get in a _little _trouble... Hope you like the update!!

**Ash Riley**, thank you, I'm glad you liked the chapter! Oui, they do, don't they? Lol Nope, wouldn't be great now would it? I know if I woke up outside my BF's with a hangover I'd be all, WTFH?! Haha, but yeah, that's cause I don't drink so anyway... scratch that... who's acting weird now? Oh, yeah, still me, always me! Teehee No sleep... ... ... it's quarter till 7, I totally shoulda' gone to bed but... alas, I didn't. SO ANYWAY, wrapping this up on my little-to-no-sleep brain, I'm glad you liked what I'm doing with the characters! To be honest, I didn't think of it that way! But taht's one of the things I love about getting reviews, usually my readers see something I maybe didn't. Or they'll say something that gives me, unbeknownst to them, inspiration or insight into something do with my story/characters! So it's great! **"I'll be looking forward to your message! Oh, and "review" in French is "revue."" **Thanks! I'm super sorry I haven't replied to your PM yet, like I mentioned last update, unreliable internet, but don't think I've forgotten about you! ) Enjoy the update!!

**6Ellie6**, ah yes, review in Spench would be... er... hahaha anyway, thank you!! I loved that you loved the chapter!! Yeah, he knows how it felt... There'll be more about that in like, well, there just will lol! I hope you like the update!! (Sorry it wasn't as quick as I know you would have liked!)

**So, only 3 reviews this time... hmm, made for quick "shout-outing," didn't it? haha Yeah, okay, I'll shut up my mindless rambling now and let y'all read!! Hope you like!**

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**Chapter XVI**

_**Painful Memories**_

"Soooo..." Teresa dragged the word out. She was leaning against Bradin, their arms linked and the fingers of his right and her left hands intertwined.

"So what?" he asked, laughing slightly at the phrase it formed.

"So I don't know!" Teresa replied, making a silly face.

"So you want to say something?" Bradin asked her.

"So... don't think so!" she giggled. Soon they were both laughing out loud... in the middle of Target. Karen looked over at the two and shook her head. Dear God, they loved each other! She could see it on their faces. Just as she had loved Teresa's father... she remembered falling in love with him... She sighed. She was slowly letting him go, she knew, and Sean proved that. But she knew she would never forget him... never.

"Oh my gosh!" Teresa exclaimed, stopping laughing.

"What?" Bradin sobered as well.

"I totally forgot to tell you that Jay called you!!" Teresa laughed. "That is, he called me and asked if you happened to be at my house. I told him you were – Teresa's voice fell to a whisper here – but didn't mention you were drunk – normal tone again – and he said he'd tried your phone but gotten some girl mad he'd woken her up! And would you be home by dinner or at least please call him by then." She finished, having worked that damned "girl" into the sentence with cunning, she thought.

"Crap, I must have left it at Joey's!" Bradin said, annoyed he'd left his phone somewhere.

"My mom could drop by there on the way home and you could grab it if you want." Teresa suggested, satisfied that some random girl had just happened to pick up his phone.

"Sure, thanks." Bradin smiled and wrapped his arms around Teresa tightly, pulling her close to him. She giggled and blushed. "Brae..."

He only smiled and held her tighter.

"Ooh, Mama!" Teresa exclaimed, trying to pull away from Bradin. He wouldn't let her go and she half dragged him, half tripped over to where her mother was. "Can I go find a new outfit? You said we'd go clothes shopping last week but never did!"

"Well... we could go this week..." Karen said, not looking up from the two jars of spaghetti sauce she was comparing.

"Okay, but can I get _one _while I'm here? Pleaaseeee?" Teresa begged like a little kid making her mother look at her and laugh at the way Bradin had her arms pinned against her sides and his head on her shoulder. Shaking her head at Teresa's pleading face she gave in. "Oh, alright! One!" she warned.

"Thank you!!" Teresa would have hugged her mother but Bradin wasn't letting go. "Brae..." she giggled again. "There is no way we're walking all the way over there like this..."

"Why... why ever not, darling?" he terribly exaggerated a southern accent making both Teresa and Karen burst out laughing. Grinning he loosened his hold on Teresa and moved his arms to around her waist, kissing her cheek. "Oh, can I use your phone to call Jay?"

"Sure. Here." Teresa dug it out of her purse, which was in the basket her mother was pushing, and handed it to Bradin. He let go of her and dialed. "We'll meet you somewhere, okay, Mama? I'll call you or something." She laughed.

"Alright, sweetie." Karen said absently, looking at her list.

Walking towards the other side of the store Bradin hung back, talking quietly on the phone. Teresa figured he must have gotten Jay.

"Hello?"

"Hey, Jay... you asked me to call you?" Bradin said.

"Yeah. Where were you last night!?" Unhappy tone.

"Er... I was at a friend's house..."

"Don't do this, Bradin. Just answer the question." Pissed tone

"I was at Joey's." He decided not to lie.

"Who answered your phone this morning?" Confused tone

"I have no clue. I left my phone there by accident when I went to Teresa's..." Bradin told the truth... well, mostly.

He could hear Jay sigh on he other end of the line and realized that he really must have been worried about Bradin. "I'm sorry, Jay. I should have called or something... I was just... I don't know. I'm sorry." He said quickly, on impulse.

Jay seemed surprised, "Uh... I mean..." he stopped. "It's alright... I know last night was... um, difficult." He couldn't find a good word.

"Yeah..." Bradin replied, his voice quiet.

"Well... when do you think you're coming home?" Jay knew he was being soft... If this were Ava she'd tell him to get his ass home right this damn minute. But he was not Ava and had no intentions of acting like her in her absence... well, not that much like her anyway.

"Um.. is there a certain time you want me to?" Bradin was trying to be reasonable, though he would have liked to say he wasn't and hung up.

"Well, no..."

"Actually... I might stay at Lucas's if that's alright..." he decided suddenly, though he said it like he'd been planning it for a while.

"No, sure... that's fine. Will you have your phone though?"

"Yeah, I'm gonna get it in a few hours." By this time the two teens, though Teresa was somewhat ahead of him, had reached the clothing department and Teresa was winding her way through this section and that section on her way to Juniors. Bradin followed at a short distance.

"Alright then... call me again before the end of the day though." Jay added. "And Bradin?"

"I will." Bradin agreed. "Yeah?"

"You alright?"

Bradin could tell Jay really cared. "Yeah... I am... now." He added the last word almost inaudibly.

"Alright... well, I'll talk to you later."

"Okay, bye." Bradin shut Teresa's phone and caught up with her. She was looking at a rack of summer dresses.

"You like this color on me?" she asked, taking the phone as he handed it to her and holding up an orange colored sun dress. Bradin caught the laugh in her eyes and said in an over enthusiastic tone, "I love it!!"

"Then I won't get it." She smirked and put it back on the rack. They both knew she hated _everything _orange and he hated orange clothes, especially on her.

"This?" she asked, seriously this time. This one was light blue.

Bradin shook his head. "Not the light one." he pointed out a darker colored blue.

She studied it. "I didn't notice that one actually." She admitted as she pulled it off the rack and held it in front of her.

He smiled.

"You like it?" she asked, slightly surprised, she usually wore brighter colors. Not that this was that dark or anything, but still.

"Yeah..." he shrugged. "But you look amazing in any color."

Teresa smiled. She looked again at the dress and realized that it was the style she didn't really like. She slipped it back on the rack saying, "Hold on." and pushed things around until she found the other style that was available. "This one." she half stated half asked. Hmm... maybe she should try it on.

"You should try it on." Bradin decided for her, unaware of what she was thinking. She laughed . He looked confused and she explained... on her way to the dressing room! Bradin loitered around outside, watching Teresa's purse at her orders, which she had left on the floor right outside the doors.

"Ta da!" she laughed, coming out and twirling around so Bradin could see her in the dress. She really loved it and hoped he did too... He'd gone with her shopping once before and they hadn't genuinely agreed on anything for her. The dress was Crayola cerulean and went to about 5 inches above her knees. It had an elastic "belt waist," was almost sleeveless, with little flutters of one layered lace acting as short, short sleeves, and V-necked, deeply, in the front.

"White." Was all he said. The thought hadn't occurred to her and yet, that was a perfect idea! "Oooh, you're right!" she exclaimed and disappeared back into the dressing room. Changing out of it and back into her denim skirt and green tank top she reappeared. "I'll grab it and be right back! She jogged off and came back less then 30 seconds later carrying a white version of the same dress. She tried it on and when she showed Bradin she was more then pleased with the look on his face.

"You look amazing." He said, genuinely meaning it.

"Thank you!" she did a mock curtsy and twirled around for him to see it all around. The dress clung to her curves and hugged her chest, giving her a Heidi-Klum-perfect-body look. The back was cut in a slight swoop. Over all it showed just enough skin to give a beautiful contrast between the white fabric and Teresa's deep tan. She changed back and rejoined Bradin, throwing her purse over her shoulder and the dress over an arm she grabbed his hand and practically pulled him to the shoe department claiming that the dress was "nothing without the perfect shoe!"

--

"So those two..." Rachel Stellar whispered to her sister as they put away groceries. "Do you suppose there's anything that could break them apart?" She was referring, of course, to Teresa and Bradin.

Karen looked at Rachel. "Why?"

"Just because they seem so deeply in love... but they're _so _young." Rachel shrugged. "I guess I'm just thinking of my first 'love...' Though _he _didn't propose..." Rachel made a face, almost bitter, thinking back to her first real love, Justin Baker.

"That was different, Rach..." Karen tried to hide a smile, remembering how the two had broken up. Over a stripper.

"Okay, so he wasn't the 'settlin' down' type... but I'm still wondering what you think." Rachel replied, putting a box of cereal away.

"What do _you_ think?" Karen turned the question around. She was a bit curious herself and the question _had_ crossed her mind.

"I think that there might be something that would break them up for a while but that, in the end, they'll be together till death."

"My sentiments exactly, sister." Karen laughed. "Now let's put this stuff away before Sean gets here!"

"He's coming over today?" Rachel was surprised, it was a weekday.

"He's off Tuesdays and Saturdays." Karen said, reading her sister's thoughts.

"Well, then, I can't wait to meet him! Teresa!!" Rachel called the 16-year-old into the kitchen. "Would you and Bradin mind putting the rest of this stuff away, I want to dress your mother up!"

Teresa looked puzzled but didn't ask. "Sure, you mind Bradin?" she asked, turning to him as he had followed her. He shook his head, "No."

"Thanks, guys!" Karen smiled. "Sean's coming over..." she whispered to Teresa as Rachel started to pull her off, as though the two were teenagers again.

Rolling her eyes with a smile Teresa turned to Bradin, "Since you don't know where stuff goes why don't you hand it all to me and I'll put it up?"

"Sure." Bradin agreed. "What's that about?" he wanted to know as he handed Teresa a box of crackers.

"What? My mom and aunt?" Teresa asked, taking the net-bag of oranges he was handing her.

"Yeah."

"Oh, her boyfriend's coming over..." Teresa laughed. _Her boyfriend._ It sounded weird... her mother's boyfriend?

"Oh..." Bradin laughed. "I knew she seemed happy lately..."

Teresa forced a smile. "Yeah." She had a fiancé and her mother had a boyfriend... that was just weird.

"What's the matter?" Bradin noticed something was on her mind.

"Huh? Oh, nothing..." she shrugged, making it seem like she meant it.

"Screw that, Reese. What?"

"Um... I said 'nothing.' " she cocked her head.

"And I said 'screw that." You're lying, Teresa Coleman." Bradin wasn't letting up.

"Alright, I'm lying. Whatever." She frowned and went to grabbing groceries herself. Bradin stood to the side and watched her. When she was angry or upset she worked _fast_, he had noticed.

"There." She smiled, finished with the job. She turned to Bradin to see him looking at her, concern visible in his eyes. "What?" she asked.

"You agreed you were lying. Tell me what it is, baby." Bradin stepped closer to her and took her left hand in his right and raised it to his lips, kissing it softly.

The gesture set off butterflies in her stomach. Butterflies? She didn't get butterflies... She felt shy all of a sudden and looked away. "It's just that... I guess it's like she's forgotten Dad or something..." Teresa admitted, her face still down.

Bradin let go of her hand and cupped her face in his hands, making her look at him. He kissed her forehead and said softly, "I'm sorry... I'm sure she hasn't."

"I know... I know you're right but it's still just... And besides, she just sprang it on me with _zero_ warning Saturday morning!" Teresa said, putting her hands on Bradin's shoulders as he moved his to her waist.

Bradin's mind worked fast when he wanted it to and he put two and two together before Teresa could say anything more. "That's when you went to Sarah's?" He more stated then asked.

"Yeah..." Teresa said, guarded.

"Partially why you... you know?" he asked.

Teresa nodded. "I think so... yeah..." she felt ashamed again and her face burned. "I'm so sorry-"

"Don't." Bradin commanded, stopping his fiancée in mid sentence. "Don't say that again.. I know you are... the other night proved that if nothing else. I know. And I know I didn't outright _say _anything but... just... that's it, it's over, let's just forget it."

Tears brimmed in Teresa's eyes. She nodded. She knew he hadn't fully forgiven her yet... she just hoped that he _would_.

He leaned in and kissed her softly on the lips. "I love you." His voice was a quiet whisper. Though what she had done still hurt him he knew she loved him... so he said it just to make sure she knew he loved her just as much.

"I love you too." Teresa put her head on his shoulder and wrapped her arms fully around his neck as he pulled her closer, burying his head in her hair.

--

Two weeks passed. Bradin and Nikki hadn't spoken a word to each other since the fight. Jay was confused as to what to do and when he told Ava she could offer no solution either. She was distressed that Nikki had said the things she did, knowing how much, though he rarely admitted it, it hurt Bradin to have either of his siblings upset with him. She knew he loved them more then anything or anyone... them and Teresa. She knew it must be killing him to have Nikki being the way she was being... however exactly that was.

"Oh, I forgot my purse, hold on a second, please?" Nikki smiled at her boyfriend, who had come to pick her up, as he nodded. She turned and hurried back into her house, up the stairs, around the corner and- "Uh." Nikki grunted, falling to the floor. She had crashed into somebody. Looking up she saw the towering form of her older brother. He had that way-over-guarded-you-can't-hurt-me-cause-I-won't-let-you-get-close-enough-to-me-to-do-it look on his face that had pretty much been there since their parents died. She thought it had been going away, and maybe it had been, before the fight, but there it was, clear and strong. Nikki often wondered if anybody but she knew the difference. She figured not... nobody else had known him before, save Derrick and Ava, though neither of them seemed to see it. Ava wasn't around enough before the accident and Derrick... well, maybe he did see it, she couldn't be sure. She was suddenly aware that Bradin was leaning over her asking if she was okay. The first words he'd spoken to her in 14 days and they were, "Sorry, you alright?" Which was stupid really cause _she_ was the one who should be sorry. She had been running around a corner like an idiot. And of course she was alright!! Why wouldn't she be alright- oh, wait... Her face turned red at her own thoughts, realizing that she was still laying on the floor so, obviously, he would ask her that. "Fine.." she mumbled, not wanting to give in and talk to him, even though she knew she should and she really did want to. He offered her his hand but she ignored it and scrambled to her feet, pushing past him and on into her room, slamming the door behind her. She was almost certain she heard him sigh.

--

"Yo!" Bradin turned his head in the direction of a male voice. Lucas was waving to him from down the beach a ways. Bradin waved back, peeled off his wet suit, leaving only a pair of swim trunks, and jogged down to where Lucas had thrown himself back in the sand, a few other of their mutual friends hanging around him.

"What's up, bro?" Lucas said, his eyes closed to the sunlight.

"Surfing." Bradin said, smirking that Lucas would even bother to ask him that question.

"Well stop. Come hang out with us, we're all going to 'torment' Mr. Baker down at the drugstore." Lucas and the others laughed at the word.

"Awe, why don't you guys leave that old man alone?" a girl named Marcy asked with a shake of her head as she walked up.

"Marcy!" Lucas got to his feet and smiled flirtatiously. "Why don't you come with us? It'll be fun, you'll see."

"Nah... I don't think it's funny. I'm not an ass." She said simply.

Lucas's grin faltered for a second but he recovered. "It's not what you're thinking. We don't really torment him."

"Sure..." Marcy argued.

"We don't! Tell her, Bradin!" Lucas turned to his friend. Bradin knew Lucas desperately liked Marcy and that she always turned her nose up at him when he tried to ask her out, though she was good friends with all of them.

"Well, I know you think because just about everybody else in Playa Linda torments him we do too, but hear Luc out." Bradin stepped in.

"Alright." She turned to Lucas, her delicate, white hands on her hips, her shy white-blond hair falling into her face. She blew it back and said, "I'll hear you out."

Lucas grinned again. "We come up like any of the kids do but, once we get inside, we offer to help him out with anything he needs." The teen's grin got wider when Marcy's don't-fuck-with-me face turned softer.

"Well..." she looked at Bradin. "Is that right?" she wanted to know.

"What? Don't you trust me, baby?" Lucas asked impishly.

"No. I don't. And don't call me 'baby.'" Marcy said, throwing a glare at Lucas.

"Yeah, that's right." Bradin answered her question. "You should go, it's fun."

"Well..." Marcy seemed to be considering the matter as though it were brain surgery. "Alright, I'll go this time." She agreed finally. "But just to see." She added.

Lucas's face broke into a smile. "You coming, Brae?" he turned to his best friend.

"I would, but I'm meeting Teresa..." Bradin said, smiling.

"Well, just be careful..." Lucas said, as though he were Bradin's father. "You know, use p.r.o.t.e.c.t.i.o.n." he added, careful to spell the word out clearly and correctly. This awarded him a death glare from Bradin and snickers from the rest of the group.

"Right..." Bradin turned on his heel and started to walk back to where his stuff was when he heard Lucas call after him. "It's called a condom, Bradin!" Bradin frowned but kept walking. Laughter echoed after him and he shook his head. "Like you know what that is!" he countered, looking back at Lucas, now walking backwards, though slowly.

"Hey now, young man..." Lucas made a stern face like he was in charge. "I think maybe you're too young to be having sex." By this time the two were talking loud enough, because of their growing distance, that a few people were looking over at them. One woman looked terribly uncomfortable. She turned to Bradin, who was just walking past her, in reverse. "Dear God!" she threw a hand to her chest, "You boys shouldn't be talking about such things! And in public!!" she gasped, shocked. Bradin instantly recognized that voice. It was their sophomore English teacher, Ms. Marie Carly. He looked straight at her, his eyes saying, "Make me stop." She frowned, recognizing Bradin.

Lucas also noticed who she was and shot Bradin a mischievous smile. Ms. Carly's discomfort only fueled their conversation further. The boys had done anything and everything to annoy that woman all of their sophomore year. Looking around, Bradin saw that it was only Ms. Carly and about 20 other teenagers, all over 15, near enough to hear them so he didn't worry about some little kid hearing it and went right on being obnoxious just to annoy Ms. Carly.

"Sex? Is that what you're talking about? Do you even know what sex is?" Bradin challenged. He decided to stop _just_ close enough to Ms. Carly that he could catch her face but still obviously have to yell to be heard by Lucas.

"Of course I know what sex is. Do _you_? Or should I explain it to you?" Lucas asked.

Bradin suppressed a laugh at the horrified look on Ms. Carly's face. He replied, loudly. "You can try! My dad kinda died before he got a chance so I'm mostly clueless." This, of course, was not true but it didn't hurt any to let Ms. Carly think it was. By this time nearly everyone who could hear the two teenage boys were looking their way, their ears trained on what they were saying.

"Well..." Lucas began slowly, putting a hand to his temple as though he had to think about a way to put this. All of their group was either, on the ground, or had their backs turned, trying to hide their laughter. "You see... men and women... they're different-"

"Good heavens!" Ms. Carly cried suddenly, cutting Lucas off. She jumped to her feet. "You two boys stop it this minute!!"

Bradin bit his lip, trying to look shocked. "Stop what?" he asked, almost dying from trying not to laugh. He knew better then to look at any of his friends, their pinched up faces would have sent him over the edge.

"You know what, young man! Don't get smart with me!!" Ms. Carly was a small woman. 4'9" tops Lucas had once decided. She was curly haired and pale, her small frame always seeming to shiver in even the slightest breeze.

"What? Talking about sex?" Bradin said, again being obnoxious.

Ms. Carly's eyes went wide.

"Well, if you don't want Luc to, then could you tell me?" It was all he could do to pretend he was dead serious. Lucas, Bradin saw from the corner of his eye, fell into the sand laughing at this last remark.

"Bradin Matthew Westerly!!" Ms. Carly dug his full name up from somewhere in her memory banks, which seemed to be enormous.

"What!?" Bradin shrugged overly exaggerated. "I'm just wondering! I'm 17, for God's sake, don't you think I ought to know?" he yelled.

A gale of laughter went up from his friends.

Ms. Carly looked like she was about to faint. "Dear... Good... Oh..." she stammered through exclamations, unable to pick one in her dire discomfort. Her whole face was red and her light brown hair seemed to be three shades darker against her drained skin, her freckles now standing out distinctly.

Bradin still stood before her, his head slightly cocked to one side, a puzzled look on his face. "Well?" he wanted to know.

"Good heavens, no!!" Ms. Carly seemed as though she were going to melt into the bright sand.

"Oh." Bradin sounded disappointed. He thought about letting it go at this but he was too far gone to just give it up like that. "Then I'll just ask Lucas..." he turned back to his friend, who was pulling himself up from the ground, his face red from laughing so hard. "Hey, Luc, go on!" he called out loudly.

Lucas coughed on his laughter.

"Bradin!!" Ms. Carly yelled desperately, her voice rising to a high pitch on the last syllable.

Bradin turned to her, pure mischief covering his face. "Yes?" he asked innocently.

"Bradin, you stop it... now!" Ms. Carly pleaded, though she was trying to sound stern.

"I'm just curious." He had definitely taken this one too far. But he had to finish it.

Ms. Carly made an exasperated sound as Lucas drawled something about had Bradin ever seen a naked woman.

"Sure..." Bradin dragged out the word. The crowd was filled with snickers and outright laughter as the two bantered on. Ms. Carly shrunk into a little ball as she started to gather her stuff. Bradin almost felt sorry for her. Almost. She was a witch in class however and everyone knew it.

"Lucas!!" a voice from behind Bradin commanded in a yell, effectively cutting off whatever it was Lucas had been about to say. All laughter died in an instant as Bradin turned around. Jay stood before him. Bradin looked at his face to see if he was mad. No, not mad. Just pissed. Pissed beyond... beyond... _beyond pissed_.

"Apologize to that woman _now_, Bradin Westerly." Jay's voice was stern like Bradin had never heard it.

"Come on, Jay, it was just a joke..." Bradin looked down, his pride and the fact that he couldn't stand Marie Carly made him try to change Jay's mind.

"Now, Bradin!" Jay repeated. However, it didn't have much effect on Bradin.

"It was a joke..." he said again, this time looking back up at Jay. To his complete shock Jay's right hand collided with his left cheek, knocking him to the ground. A gasp rose from the crowd. He knew they were all watching him still. Looking back at Jay he swallowed and scrambled to his feet, putting a hand to his cheek. Something changed in his manner and he looked over at Ms. Carly, dropping his hand. "I'm sorry..." he muttered. "It was a stupid thing to do, I was just trying to bug you and I'm sorry." he said quietly. He was sort of sorry but he hadn't apologized for that reason. He had apologized because of the bruise that was now swelling on his right cheekbone. Something filled Bradin in that instant, seeping into his bones and tensing his every muscle. All he could think of was how that had always been the first thing Jerry Brown would do to him before his little "happy hours."

"Thank you for apologizing, Bradin." Ms. Carly accepted the apology. Her face was starting to return to its normal color and that "witch air" was about her once more.

Bradin wasn't sure where Jay had come from or what had led him to hit Bradin but he didn't think now was a great time to ask either.

"Get whatever you have on the beach and get your ass to my shop. Now." Jay commanded, still using that unfamiliar-to-Bradin stern voice.

Bradin didn't try to argue with him. He walked back to where his board and gear were and gathered it all up. He realized Jay was talking to Lucas. As he walked off, frustrated and pissed by all the eyes on him, he caught sight of someone he wished he hadn't. Nikki stood in the crowd, looking both worried and confused. Apparently she'd just shown up in time to see the hit but nothing before that. As soon as she saw him seeing her she looked defiant, but the concern in her eyes was still visible. Bradin looked down and walked on in a hurry.

--

"Yes, and now he's got that old look back on his face..." Jay groaned. "I probably shouldn't have done that..."

"Well... yeah, probably. After all, he's still recovering from, you know, everything... even if it has been months." Erica said softly, taking a handful of buttered popcorn from the bowl between her and Jay and stuffing a few pieces into her mouth. "I mean," she continued with her mouth full, "did he say anything?"

"No..." Jay was mad at himself. He knew he shouldn't have hit Bradin. No matter how much of an asshole he'd just been to that woman, who he had found out was Bradin's former teacher.

"Have you tried to talk to him?" Erica had finished chewing and spoke before stuffing more popcorn into her mouth.

"Shit no..." Jay almost laughed at the thought. He had been nothing but stern and curt with Bradin ever since that afternoon, grounding him for two weeks and everything.

"Where is he now?" Erica asked, moving the popcorn bowl to the floor. She was glad she and Jay had overcome their most recent fight and were together as always.

"In his room last I knew." Jay replied, his mind obviously elsewhere. "He better be anyway, he _is _grounded." He added, returning to reality for a second before floating away again.

"Why'd you get so mad so quick, sweetie?" Erica could tell something else was on Jay's mind, and probably had been that afternoon as well.

"My damn father..." was Jay's anger laced answer.

"Oh." This seemed to solve things in Erica's mind and she stood up. "Mind if I see if I can talk to him?" she asked, though she didn't think she really needed permission.

"No, go ahead." Jay agreed readily, really not wanting to have to deal with it himself but knowing he couldn't just let it go either.

Erica smiled. "I'll be back in a little while." She disappeared from Jay's room, the door falling shut behind her. "Hi, honey!" Erica smiled at Derrick, who was busy trying to beat his own record at some racing game.

Derrick looked up momentarily. "Hi." Was his short reply before his eyes and attention were back on the video game.

Erica smiled. Mounting the stairs she made it to Bradin's room and knocked softly. There was still a crack in the wood, she noticed, probably from when Johnny and Jay had tried to break it down late last year to save Bradin from the psychotic Jerry Brown.

"Fuck off." Bradin called from inside. His voice was muffled sounding.

"It's me, Kansas." Erica called back. "Can I talk to you for a minute?" Silence. Shuffling. Click. The door opened and Bradin stood in front of Erica, his eyes were slightly bloodshot and Erica was suddenly keenly and frighteningly aware that Bradin was dead tired... emotionally.

"Whoa... you okay?" she didn't even have time to stop herself before the words left her lips. Bradin glared. "What do you want?" was all he said.

"I just wanted to talk to you for a minute..." Erica replied truthfully. "Unless you have somewhere to be." she knew he'd smirk at this, knowing she knew he was grounded. He did. "Come in." He invited, moving out of the way and letting Erica pass. He pushed the door shut and leaned his back against it. Erica looked around the room a second, only a lamp was on but she could still see how much of a mess it was.

"Ever clean this place?" she wanted to know. She was making small talk and he knew it.

"What do you want?" he repeated himself.

"Bradin, are you alright?"

"Who wants to know?" he had put his old familiar shield back up. The one he had had after Jerry started "visiting" him...

"Me." Erica said, looking him straight in the eye.

"You don't count." He said, his gaze level with hers.

"What?" she really was confused.

"You don't count. Who are you going to tell?" he put Erica through layer one of his shield. "Last time 'you' wanted to know if I was alright you were 'gathering information,' if you will, for my aunt, remember that?"

She remembered. But it had, like so many other things, seemed like a good idea at the time. "I remember, Bradin. And I'm sorry. But it's different now."

"Who are you going to tell, I asked." Bradin stood firm.

"No one. Promise." Erica crossed her heart.

Bradin looked at her. "I'm fine." He replied after a minute. He wanted to shove her out of his room and lock the door before her caring face got to him.

"Are you sure?" she pressed.

"Quite." Bradin said, out of character.

"That doesn't sound like you." Erica commented.

Bradin spoke clearly, pausing slightly between each word, "I am fine."

"You don't sound fine."

"Well I am."

"No, you're not. You're lying."

"I am. And so what if I was?"

"You should talk to me."

"Why?"

That one got her. "I don't know exactly... you just... should." Erica knew it was no use.

"Right..." Bradin rolled his eyes. "Are you done?" he wanted to know, folding his arms across his chest.

Erica stared. "I guess I have to be." She said, trying not to have an edge to her voice.

"Goodnight then." Bradin opened his door and motioned her out with an overdone swoop of his hand. She left his room and went back downstairs scowling. Men were such bastards when you tried to help them...

--

Three days passed and Jay started to wonder if he should let up Bradin's punishment or at least let him come out of his room for more then just meals... which he didn't seem to be eating anyway. But he knew if he didn't stick to it Bradin wouldn't believe him the next time he told him he was grounded so he decided to make him stick it out.

"Anybody home!?" Jay almost dropped the coffee cup he was holding. He knew that voice. And that voice had just barged into his home without so much as knocking. Even after Jay had sent him an email telling him not to come and gotten one back that said, "Fine, I'll go see New York instead." Standing up, his fists clenched in anger and frustration, Jay left the kitchen and frowned when he got to the living room. He stared. "Father."

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**So there be chapter sixteen! Be sure and let me know what you thought, no matter **_**what**_** you thought!! –smiles- Hugs!**

_Much love,  
Anna Christie_


	18. 17: When You Say It Without a Sound

**I do not own Summerland. (As always. But trust me, I'll let you know when I do! Hahaha jkjk)**

**Ash Riley**, really now? haha In that case... CRAYOLA CERULEAN, CRAYOLA CERULEAN, CRAYLOA- Okay, I'm done. teehee Rude? He was a damn jackass to her! lol But see, she's not like, just an old lady or something, she was an evil teacher. And by evil, I mean, the kind that make you wish you could lock them in a dungeon for being a bitch! hahahah Anyways, no, they're not getting along very often, are they?? She just said that, Anna, get a brain. -wink- Good! It was supposed to be a surprise to the readers! After all, we were following Bradin and it surprised him so yeah. lol Locked room?? With the teacher or without the teacher? -crazy eyes- I'm guessing Jay would be about the only one to make it out in any sort of healthy shape, pahaha So anyway, to like, make a LONG review shout out thingy short, (though this isn't really short, is it?) I'm really glad you liked the chapter and the length! Oh! That's not why I stayed up all night btw! I just happened to have pulled an all nighter for other reasons, so I updated while I was thinking about it. The chapter was already written, haha. It's good you've never had to go all night! Unfortunately I've done that more times then I'd like to count... But anyway, I'm trying to not do it anymore, but I usually crash a few hours during the day when I do, so I'm alright! anywho, enjoy the update, girl!! (I love getting your reviews/thoughts, so keep 'em coming!!) Note: Yeah, wow, I was so hyper when I wrote this. I wrote it RIGHT after I got your review lol. so don't blame me if the rest of them aren't so hyper, I'm writing them today as I update!

**acciodanrad9**, HEY new reader!! yells to others: get the confetti and welcome her aboard. Now! paha Anywayz, I'm so glad you're reading this story!! And thank you so much for reviewing as you went along instead of just reviewing the latest chapter!! I love it! Thank you! I like my Nikki/Bradin scenes too lol they seem to be a hit! -winky- Yeah, it would be understandable but I'm not sure if that's where I'm going with it yet... you'll see when you read though! kinda obviously haha Don't worry, Jay's gonna HAVE to talk to him at SOME point and Brae/Teresa moments are sure to come! Now, I hope you like this chapter!! (PS you said, "what am I going to do now?" haha wellllllllll not to be an ad again but I DO have one more story I don't think you read. Unless you did and just didn't review it haha It's called "On The Edge of Sanity." But yeah, no more advertising for me! I just thought I'd let you know and thank you soooooo much for reading/reviewing and loving my writing!! ((hugs))

**angel-prncess-18**, hello, hello!! Yes, the potential for drama went up a bit there hahaha Anywho, it's ok!! So long as you're still reading and enjoying, that's all that matters! (Ahhhh you lost your papers and all?! I would die) haha "yeah my life sucks...but ur story doesn't" lolz love that, thanks but I'm really sorry about your stupid computer... Um... this, considering I seem to be good at cussing, haha, may sound dumb but what did you mean by this sentence "haha...but damn bradin is ...never would expect him to be so ..." Sorry, but I really don't know what you meant. did you mean to have an "a" before the word?? lol Anyywayyyzzz, aside from that, thank you for reading and loving it! I love to know that you love to see where I'm going with the story lol I hope I don't disappoint!

**froggy2045**, lmao thank you!! I loved the Ms. Carly thing too!! I was sitting there and I was just like, writing anything that popped into my head and this whole sex conversation came to my mind and I was like, yeah, Lucas and Bradin talking about that to annoy somebody... I could totally see that!! haha And like, you know how I'm always telling you I love your humor in your stories? Well, I was going for something funny, for once, in mine! haha and I'm glad to see, at least you, thought it was hilarious!! Others were like, "Bradin was rude!" and I'm thinking, yeah, that was the idea -crazy eyes+tongue- hahaha (which he was rude, he was a jackass lol but I am glad you thought it wa hilarious!) Love ya, hope you like this chapter!! oh, and yeah, I'm glad you liked Erica trying to talk to him and that you were surprised when Jay hit him, cause it was supposed to come as somewhat of a shock! Enjoy!!

**Now, I'll SHUT THE FREAK UP, ANNA, and let y'all read!!**

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**Chapter XVII**

**_When You Say It Without a Sound_**

Jay's father didn't seem to catch Jay's coldness and engulfed his son in a hug. A hug that Jay quickly pulled out of. "What are you doing here?" he wanted to know. Coldly.

Before the older man could answer Teresa appeared behind him in the open door. "Um... is Bradin here?"

"He's in trouble." Jay said, barely looking at her, his eyes still on the out-of-place sight of his father in Playa Linda.

"Oh... um... Do you think maybe I could talk to him for like... just 5 minutes?" Teresa asked, squirming in her own skin, the look on Jay's face not helping matters.

"No." was the curt reply.

Teresa's confidence wavered. "Oh, uh... I don't mean to bug, but maybe just 5 minutes?" she looked hopefully at Jay. "Please?" she added.

Jay didn't want to back out of something in front of his dad but if there was one thing Teresa Coleman was, it was a sweetheart. And that face of hers was hard to resist about anything. "Five." He instructed. "Bradin, downstairs. Now!" he yelled through the house. He was ashamed of himself really... he knew that part of the reason he had hit Bradin that day was because of the very man standing before him watching the interaction between his son and Teresa. Taking it in and reviewing it, probably chopping up Jay's character by the second. He never had approved of much of anything Jay did.

Jay had heard of the "3rd strike you're out" rule but his father had never waited for the third strike. He struck midway through the second. And that's what Jay had done to Bradin. He was angry about that too. Yes, what Bradin did wasn't right but Jay had always told himself that if he ever had kids he wouldn't raise them in _any_ way like his father had raised him. And yet, he had gone and done the worst thing his father used to do... Though, technically, of course, Bradin wasn't his child but he thought of him that way so, same difference in his mind.

His father had always gotten pissed and yelled or punched or slapped as soon as one of his kids put up resistance a second time. Jay said he'd never do that. Bradin appeared at this moment, breaking into Jay's thoughts. He wore a blank expression, a deep purple bruise lining his left cheekbone. Jay winced. He hadn't hit him _that_ hard... had he?

"Teresa wants to see you. You've got 5 minutes." He had been tempted to say 10 but remembering that his scrutinizing dad was still there he didn't want to back down from anything and stuck to 5.

Bradin slipped past Jay and out the door, not even seeming to notice the presence of the older man. He pulled the door shut behind him.

"Hey..." Bradin mumbled to Teresa, sitting down on the step of the front porch.

"What happened to your face!?" Teresa's eyes were wide with worry as she sat beside him. She hadn't seen anything like that on Bradin since before Jerry died.

"Nothing. What's up?" Bradin tried to change the subject. Teresa wasn't having it.

"Nothing!? Have you looked in a mirror!?" she freaked out.

"Yes..." Bradin hissed, wishing she'd just shut up. His head hurt and his eyes were giving out. He hadn't slept worth a shit in two days.

"Then what happened?"

"Jay hit me." Bradin answered truthfully.

"Jay what!?"

"Are you deaf today or something?" Bradin asked, irritably.

"What the hell's wrong with you!?" Teresa got irritable back.

Bradin groaned. "Nothing... I'm sorry."

Teresa looked at him. He looked tired. Her voice softened. "Are you alright? What happened?"

"Yes, I'm alright. What do you mean 'what happened?' What happened to my face or what?" Bradin knew she probably meant everything but he was trying to drag this out till Jay made him come back inside so he wouldn't have to answer at all.

"To _you_." Teresa clarified, though it didn't really clarify anything.

"My sister hates me, my brother won't hardly look at me, my parents are dead, Jay's being a damn asshole and I'm scared again." Bradin yelled, turning to Teresa. After a couple of seconds his eyes slowly fell shut and his head met her shoulder. He hadn't meant to give in that quickly but he was too worn out to even care.

She wrapped him in her arms and hugged him tight. "Everything's gonna be okay, baby.." she whispered, hoping to soothe him some. He just tensed. "Don't say that." he commanded, almost angry sounding.

"What?"

"'Everything's gonna be okay.'" Bradin replied, pulling away and looking straight ahead.

"Huh?"

"Don't say it!!" Bradin yelled at her. He could tell he was falling apart and not making any sense but he couldn't help it. His mother used to always say that and damn it, he didn't want to think about her right now. Though he knew even as he tried to shut Teresa up that he already was.

Teresa didn't reply. She stared down at the plain wooden planks of the porch. A bird cried loudly in the distance. Somebody's car alarm went off and a dog went wild with barking and howling. Somebody told it to shut the hell up. It got louder.

"Bradin?" Teresa looked up suddenly. He looked over at her, his face wary, "What?" His shoulders hung and his eyes were visibly tired.

"Can I sneak into your room tonight?"

Bradin was surprised. And whether he was too tired to try and fight her or too stupid he wasn't sure but he gave in easily. "You can try." He said.

"I'll come around one." She whispered as Jay opened the door and told Bradin he had to come in now.

Bradin nodded on his way in the house, giving Teresa a weak smile.

--

Bradin sat upright in bed. He looked at the clock, it was quarter after one, he was sure he'd heard something. As much as he'd denied it to everyone, and to himself for that matter, he still couldn't get over the old fears, especially not at one in the morning when something's making noises outside your room...

_Thump, thump, thump..._ Somebody was softly knocking on his balcony doors. He let out his breath, it must be Teresa. Tiptoeing to his bedroom door he peeked out. He heard Jay and his father arguing downstairs. Locking the door he went over to the balcony doors and slid one open, "Hey..." he whispered, wrapping Teresa in a hug. After a minute of standing half in the house, half out Bradin said they should sit on the balcony since Derrick shared his room and was asleep.

"So... what you told me today, Brae..." Teresa tried to get around to asking him what all had happened.

"What about it?"

"Why'd Jay hit you?" she whispered, delicately running two fingers over his cheekbone. He winced and she moved her hand.

"I don't know... cause I was being an ass, I guess..." Bradin almost laughed at the remembrance of the conversation he and Lucas had been having that day on the beach.

"How so?" Teresa asked.

Bradin looked at her. He didn't say anything. "Do you want to go for a walk?" he asked suddenly.

"But Jay said you're-"

"I don't care what he said. He's downstairs with his father and probably will be till this time tomorrow, I've never heard two people argue so much." Bradin shook his head. "He won't know, not if we sneak down this way and I sneak back up later."

"Well... if you don't think you'll get in worse trouble..." Teresa seemed uncertain. "I miss you, Brae." She added shyly.

Bradin smiled softly, "I won't. And fuck him if I do..."

"You just said you won't." Teresa reminded him. He laughed slightly. "Yeah... come on."

Standing, Bradin went back into his room. Putting on jeans over his boxers and unlocking the bedroom door, he went back out and started down the side of the house. Once he was on the ground Teresa followed him. Almost to the bottom her foot slipped and she fell. Bradin caught her and they fell in the sand, unharmed. Unfortunately the shock of realizing she was falling had made her let out a small scream. She stifled it almost instantly but both teens were worried Jay had heard it. They were still and silent a minute. A yell rose from inside the house. Satisfied that Jay was still busy fighting with his father Bradin grabbed Teresa's hand and led her down the beach, far away from both their houses, in the general direction of Spanish Cove. After about an hour's time, Teresa had gotten the whole story out of Bradin and now she lay in his arms, watching the stars blink and twinkle in the vast night sky.

"So do you have any idea as to why Jay would have hit you? I mean, he's never seemed like that kind of person before... well, actually he _has_, but I didn't think he'd ever hit _you_...knowing about... you now, what all's happened to you." Teresa said, her voice turning tender on the last part.

"I don't know. He's been acting un-Jay-like ever since he got that email from his dad, saying he was coming to visit. But I thought Jay had told him not to..."

"He must have come anyway..."

"Probably..." Bradin was quiet. "Reese?"

"Mm hmm?" Teresa murmured, her face rested on his chest, looking sideways and up at the sky.

"What we did the other night..." Bradin's voice was gentle, like he was treading glass.

Teresa glanced her eyes at Bradin's face, but because of the way they were laying, she couldn't see his expression. She waited.

"Why did you do it?" he finally asked. Still careful in his tone.

"Why?" Teresa hadn't expected that question.

"Yeah..."

Teresa sat up. Bradin sat up next to her.

"Because I..." she stopped and turned to Bradin as she spoke, " Because I love you." Her voice tone suggested that she was almost shocked by the question. Didn't he _know_ that? And if not, she wanted to make absolute certain that he did.

Bradin wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled Teresa into his lap. Resting his head on her shoulder he said quietly. "I know you do... I shouldn't have asked that..."

"But since I slept with Jeremy you had to... right?" Teresa asked, equally as quiet.

"Yeah... I guess I just haven't completely let that go... I'm sorry-."

Teresa interrupted. "I understand that. I didn't exactly expect you t- to..." She felt a few tears welling behind her eyes. She wouldn't let them fall.

"Reese..." Bradin kissed her neck. "I do now." He murmured into her ear. "I forgive you completely."

Bradin would have seen that Teresa's eyes were full to the brims because Teresa would have looked at him if he hadn't turned her face to his and kissed her at that second, making her shut her eyes and fall away with him. She felt her back hit the ground, sand crunching beneath her weight, but still she didn't open her eyes. Her hands had found the back of his head and she realized he was over her, each of their bodies tingling with excitement. Bradin ran kisses down Teresa's neck and stopped only long enough to remove his shirt. He looked at her. "Are you sure?" The thought that he genuinely cared enough about her to make _sure _she was okay with doing anything touched Teresa and only made her want him more. In reply to his question she traced her fingers delicately over the muscles of his bare chest and pulled him back to her, kissing him deeply.

This passion was broken abruptly by Teresa cell phone going off. The ring tone she normally adored now annoyed her beyond words. After two lines of _Kiss Me_ Bradin had rolled off of Teresa and lay, breathing deeply, in the sand beside her as she groped for her phone. _Sexy Chicka_ the screen read.

"This better be good." Teresa found herself saying into the phone. She would have rejected the call had it been anyone but her best friend, Bethany Miller.

"Sorry, so sorry! I know it's like, 2 or something where you are but _Oh, my God_, Resa! I'm moving!!"

"This couldn't have... waited?" Teresa gritted her teeth through a faked smile. She knew moving was a big deal but really, right smack in the damn middle of her and Bradin-

"TERESA! DID YOU HEAR ME?? I'm MOVING!!" Bethany practically screamed.

"Yes, I heard you!" Teresa almost laughed. "What the fuck, Beth!? So you're moving! What about it??" Okay, Bethany seriously needed to sleep more often then she did, wasn't it after 5 her time- oh.

"TO PLAYA LINDA, REESE!! I'm moving to PLAYA LINDA!! Where you are, helloooo??" Bethany was breathless. Teresa could just picture her sitting there, her cheeks flushed red, her hair probably wild from where she pulled it when she got the news. Bethany always pulled on her hair when she was excited, and her face always flushed. "My mom just woke me up and told me they finally decided!! My parents have been debating this new position my dad can take for about a week now, I meant to talk to you in between but it's just been so crazy! I mean, ahh, can you even believe it! We're gonna get to hang out again!! We'll get to _see_ each other!! I mean, just... Oh, my God, I'm so excited!!"

"I can tell." By now Teresa was giggling.

"Aren't you!?" Teresa could tell Bethany's eyes had popped out of her head.

"YES!!" Teresa half yelled. "Of course I am, your mom just happened to pick an awful time to tell you that..."

"Uh oh..." Bethany was beginning to realize something was going on where Teresa was. "What?" she asked.

"I'll tell you later-" Teresa started but her eyes fell on Bradin. He was staring at her, his eyes twinkled with amusement. No doubt he had heard everything Bethany had said- er... yelled! "Oh, screw that!" Teresa laughed, realizing she might as well say it. "You 'interrupted' something..." the 16-year-old put just the right amount of emphasis on "interrupted" to let Bethany know what she meant.

"Oh, my God! I'm sorry..." Bethany's cheeks, Teresa knew, were turning even darker red. "Oops?" the South Carolinian teen offered.

Teresa laughed. "I'll forgive you... _this_ time." she added, winking though she knew Bethany couldn't see it.

"I'll um... go?" Bethany's excitement had burned down for the time being and she was obviously embarrassed by what she had called in the middle of.

Again Teresa's eyes looked to Bradin. He just smiled and said apologetically, "I should probably get back anyway..." Teresa nodded, smiling back, though regretfully. "No, it's okay, it's okay." She said to Bethany. "You called, you better stay on the line!" she added in mock sternness.

"Are you sure..." Bethany was uncertain.

"Yeah, it's fine. Just a second." She put her hand over the speaker. "Are you alright for the night, baby? I mean, I never did get to er... analyze you..."

Bradin laughed. "Analyze me, right... But yeah, I'm okay." Bradin had put his shirt back on and was standing up. He offered Teresa his hand and she accepted. Pulling her lightly to her feet he wrapped her in his arms and hugged her tight. "I love you."

"I love you too. Walk me home?" she asked.

He nodded.

"You still there, Beth?" Teresa asked into the phone.

"Yeah."

"When are you coming?" the realization of everything Bethany had said was finally sinking in and Teresa found that, all of a sudden, she couldn't wait to see Bethany again.

"Soon." Bethany teased.

"WHEN?!" Teresa yelled.

"Well..." this was fun, Bethany decided.

"How dare you call me when you did and then not even _answer_ me!!" Teresa had the advantage of a guilt-trip due to Bethany's bad timing in calling.

"Alright, alright. Fine! I said I was sorry!! Sheesh..." Bethany muttered.

"ANSWER ME RIGHT NOW, BETHANY MILLER!!"

"TWO WEEKS!!" Bethany could no longer pretend she didn't know and the excitement showed in her voice.

Teresa screamed. "Oh, my God!!" she would have said something else but nothing came except, "Oh, my God!!" again.

Bradin, who had quietly been walking beside Teresa, now looked at her and laughed. "I won't be seeing much of you in the next few months will I?"

"Don't be stupid, Brae! I'll find an hour or two for you!" Teresa said, sounding serious but joking.

"Oh, good... I was worried there for a minute." The sarcasm showed through in her fiancé's voice.

Teresa laughed. "Oh, Beth!" she started soberly, her attention now turning back to the 16-year-old on the other line.

"Yeah?"

"I wonder if you could do something for me before you leave?"

"What?" she asked.

"Would you..." Teresa felt like if she continued then she would cry.

"What is it, girl?" Bethany's voice was gentle, having picked up on her friend's emotions.

Bradin had also noticed Teresa's change in attitude and he moved close to her and put an arm around her waist as they walked.

Teresa sniffed. "Would you, God this is gonna sound so stupid!" she laughed trying not to cry.

"No, it won't. What is it? I'll do anything for you, you know that." Bethany assured.

"I know. Thank you." Teresa gave up trying not to cry and let the tears roll down her cheeks. "Would you cut a heart out of pink construction paper and like, tack it to some of the fake flowers on my dad's..." she stopped, trying to gather her emotions back up.

"I will, I swear." Bethany promised. "I'll do it today."

"Thank you, Beth... I remember he used to love when I would do that... Only my hearts were always crooked and usually had peanut butter finger prints all over them..." Teresa cry-laughed at the memory. Bradin squeezed her tighter to himself, their walk slowing to a snail's pace.

"Awe... Reese..." Bethany murmured. "Want me to cut it crooked and stamp peanut butter fingerprints all over it?" She wasn't joking or being mean or sarcastic. She meant it, genuinely. And Teresa knew she did.

Teresa choked and buried her face in Bradin's shoulder. He quit walking and held her lovingly, knowing how painful the memories could be.

"Reese..." Bethany wished nothing more then that she could be there and give Teresa a hug. "I love you."

Teresa cried loudly and tears soaked Bradin's shirt. After what must have been 7 minutes she finally got her crying down to just silent tears and a few sobs and looked up. She was surprised to see a few tears trickling down Bradin's cheeks. "What is it?" she asked, wanting to comfort him of anything that would make him cry.

He pulled her face back to his shoulder and whispered into her ear, "I can't stand to see you hurting... I love you, Reese."

Teresa clung to him tightly. She realized that she was still holding her phone. "Oh..." she gasped. "Bethany?" she asked into the phone, expecting her friend had hung up. Instead she got Bethany's voice in reply, thick and emotional. She must have been crying too. "I'm here." She said.

"You're too sweet, Beth..." Teresa sniffled.

"I love you, what can I say. You know we're sisters separated at birth. You _know_ we are. What you feel, I feel and vise-versa." Bethany laughed in a way that said she was joking but also _not_ joking.

"I know we are... I know." Teresa had quit crying now and she smiled behind her puffy eyes. "I can't wait till you get here, Beth."

"Me either! Oh, my God, I have to pack!" Bethany realized that there was a _lot _of packing to do and not much time to do it in.

"Okay, girl, I'll let you go so you can pack... and I can nap before my mom's up and bugging me to get up too!" Teresa laughed.

"Okay. And I _will not_ forget about your dad's grave. I'll do it before anything else." Bethany promised sweetly.

"Thank you..." Teresa whispered.

"Oh, by the way, I'm taking it you and Bradin worked everything out?" Bethany hadn't gotten a chance to talk to Teresa since the night she had stayed on the line secretly while Teresa talked to Bradin.

"Yes." Teresa's smile showed in her voice. Bradin had pulled away from her enough for them to walk again and as she answered Bethany she leaned over and kissed Bradin's cheek. He looked at her to see why she'd done that but she just whispered. "I love you. Thank you." And he knew what she meant. She meant thank you for forgiving her and for still loving her through everything. And for understanding about her father, for holding her and for letting her cry. And she meant I love you for the same reasons.

He smiled at her and no words were needed as his eyes showed that he repeated her.

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**So to make up for alllllll that talking I did at the beginning of this chapter, I hope this was a nice long update!! Love to hear what you think!! (you know it keeps me going!)**

_Live, love, laugh, dream... believe,  
Anna Christie_


	19. 18: Father? Oh, Is That

**So guess what? I don't own Summerland. I know! Shocker, right?!**

**Okay, y'all!! I've got a thing or two I want to say to you so listen up! You all amaze me, you rock, AND I wouldn't be writing **_**anything**_** if it weren't for y'all, so thank you.**

**So here goes, even though I have like, a frenzy of stuff to do before my cousin's wedding tomorrow, I'm updating!!**

**angel-prncess-18**, haha, hey, I feel ya! My computer has had its major issues too... it sucks. Yep, here comes Bethany!! Wonder what that brings... haven't quite decided myself, to be honest! Lol We'll see though and don't worry, Bradin and Nikki won't stay silent forever but it may be a bit longer. Thank you for lovin' it and here's your update! Hope you love it too!

**froggy2045, **oh, wow I can barely see what I'm typing cause I just looked out the window and the mail truck was driving down the road, and the sun was shining on it, and it totally just reflected in my eye and now I have this huge spot there and it's annoying me... Lol okay, wait, it's mostly gone now, so yeah, onto you review! Haha, awesome! I love when people look at you like, "What are you laughing at you goofball??" and you just keep laughing teehee Yes, major mood killer! :P Thanks, everybody seems to like the idea of Bethany coming! Can't wait for y'all to see where I take it... wherever exactly that _is_! Haha Yeah, I thought the heart thing was awesome, it just sort of hit me. Like the Luc/Brae convo last chapter lol In tune with each other, good way to put that. I like it. Yeah, Jay's dad... –evil laughter- AHEM sorry. LOL you're hilarious! I love it!! Well, alright then, READ, YOU SLACKER- I mean... I better go before I get myself in trouble... No, seriously, you need to update YOUR stories!! (I HAVE reviewed the latest updates, right? Forgive me if I haven't, and let me know!) Hope you like the ch!

**Ash Riley**, hey, girl! What do you mean? "A flair for the dramatic" sorry, feelin' kinda stupid today, that's the second possibly "dumb" question I've asked in the last hour and half lol Yah, everyone has problems. I'm not sure exactly how she's going to affect everyone either! Lol Not yet anyway. But I have a vague idea, so you'll see... (Awe, I have exactly 4 BFF's haha and two of them live far away (Indiana and Canada) so I know how you feel... only we've never have met face-to-face, but we write and talk on the phone and all) I actually don't watch "House," it annoys me. Lol So I have no clue who that man is... Sorry. Yes, you _should_ read the first part of this story!! (Only if you have time lol) But FYI, I've become a much better writer since then, in my opinion anyway. I know, I'm trying to kill the all-nighters, going pretty good so far, but sometimes I just have to –shrug- But anyway, hope you like this chapter!!

**6Ellie6**, THANK YOU!! Yep, Brae/Reese! Glad you liked it and the paper heart and all. And I'm glad you liked her "interrupting" them pahaha Awe, thank you!! Bethany _does_ seem a bit popular with my readers, doesn't she? Teehee, I'm so glad though!! Lol thanks! And don't worry, Jay'll come around soon enough, hope you enjoy the update!!

**acciodanrad9**, merci! Haha, as I've said maybe, 3 times now, lol, I'm actually not sure how it will affect Bradin/Teresa but it's sure to do _something_, no? If you know me it probably will!! Yes, that's why Bradin's scared again. And Jay actually talks to him really soon, so I hope I don't disappoint with that! Anyway, I hope you love this chapter!!

**Alright, guys, here's the new chapter! Sorry it wasn't as quick as I would have liked for it to be, but I've been mad busy and besides, I couldn't get online for several days there so yeah. Enjoy!!**

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**Chapter XVIII**

_**Father? Oh, Is That What You Were Supposed To Be?**_

Another week and Bradin was seriously pissed off. Jay had been a complete asshole to Bradin the whole time. And stern and commanding. If Jay's father hadn't been there Bradin was sure they would have gotten in a fist fight by now... but he figured the reason Jay was acting the way he was acting was because of Mr. Robertson. Jay seemed to be trying to live up to something or something... It was weird but it was one of those things you didn't mention, just dealt with.

He had snuck off with Teresa nearly ever night that week and tonight was planned to be no different. That is, until Jay left the house for the night in the middle of dinner. Erica had slipped off her board earlier that day and broken her arm on the reef and nearly drowned. Jay got the call during dinner and immediately took off for the hospital, muttering something to his father about keeping an eye on the kids while he was gone, but they should be fine cause they weren't really going to be home tonight as Nikki was going to be gone with friends to the mall then all night bowling till somewhere around 3 then she and Amber were coming back and Amber was staying over. And Derrick was spending the night at his friend, Frank's, house. And Bradin, of course, was grounded.

Nikki saw this as an opportunity to leave the house earlier then she had planned and that way get to spend a little extra time with just her and Cameron.

Mr. Robertson, whose first name was Gary, let Nikki go warning her to be back by 3:30am. She readily agreed and left with Cameron, who she had called to come over and get her early. Nikki didn't care where they killed time at before they met their other friends, she just didn't like Gary and she didn't want to be around Bradin, though, granted, he was confined to his room for doing something Nikki wasn't quite clear on yet.

However, when Bradin tried to leave by way of the front door, thinking it would be easy to get past Jay's father, Gary came up behind him and said, "Just where are you going?" Bradin turned around and looked at the older man. He wasn't very old, he realized, in fact, he must not have been but maybe 18 to 20 years older then Jay was. Which would put him somewhere in his late 40s, early 50's, give or take. His hair was only just starting to thin some in the front and there was little to none that was gray. He was a well built man, obviously he worked out and was stronger then he probably first appeared. Jay looked incredibly like him in this sense. "To meet my girlfriend." Bradin answered, his tone careful.

"I don't think so." Was Gary's short reply.

"Why not?" Bradin stood his ground.

"Because you're grounded if I'm not mistaken, boy, now get back to your room." Bradin realized for the first time that there was some underlying vibe about this man that was almost sinister... like some sort of hate. He could see why Jay seemed unable to stand him.

Before Bradin could reply a car horn beeped outside and Derrick appeared, carrying his sleeping bag and an overnight bag with extra clothes and stuff. "That's Frank's mom, Mr. Robertson." He said to Gary, purposefully avoiding looking at Bradin.

Gary nodded and walked with Derrick out to the mini van parked in the driveway and saw him off then came back inside where Bradin still stood, thinking he probably should have made a break for it.

"I thought I told you to get back upstairs." Gary almost seemed angry, but more just stern. "Go now." He commanded once Bradin didn't do anything.

"You can't tell me to do that. I don't even know you." Bradin said defiantly.

"Yes, you do. You met me over a week ago! And yes, I can. Jay left me in charge of you three kids, which makes what I say law." Gary seemed to be enjoying this power, however small it really was.

"That's fucked up. I'm leaving." Bradin turned to leave, not liking this man more and more by the second, but Gary grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back saying, "I _told _you to get you _ass_ back upstairs." He paused between certain syllables making the sentence more commanding then it otherwise would have been.

"What the hell, man!?" Bradin jerked his arm free of Gary's grasp and glared at the older man. "Don't you fucking touch me." Gary was frighteningly reminding him of Jerry Brown at the moment and he didn't like it.

"Do as I say and I won't have to." Was Gary's reply.

Bradin looked at him like he was crazy.

Gary again grabbed his arm, this time pulling it behind Bradin's back, attempting to lead him upstairs. Bradin wrestled his arm away, whirled around and swung his other hand, this one curled into a fist, at Gary's jaw. Gary saw this coming somehow and jumped out of the way before Bradin's fist could make contact.

"I'm trained in, and teach, martial arts, Bradin, don't make me use them on you." He said, being uncannily calm.

Bradin opened his mouth to say something but Gary cut him off by grabbing Bradin's arms, spinning him around and kicking him into the wall face first. Blood seeped into Bradin's mouth from a now busted lip and the taste sent a shivering memory through his mind. He spun around and stared at Gary, who was standing calmly as though nothing had happened. Again he went to say something and was cut off by the same maneuver.

This time Bradin thought how to ward off that particular attack method and when he whirled around, stood in such a position as to prevent Gary from doing it again.. "What are you fucking doing!?" Bradin yelled. He realized blood was running down his face from somewhere... his right temple. His head felt like it was splitting... Damn, you did not want to get kicked face first into a wall.

"I've already told you to get upstairs and I warned you of this..." Gary said simply.

"You warned me but didn't give me a chance to even leave! You're fucking crazy!!" Bradin yelled and instantly knew he should have left that last part out. Gary looked at him dead on and said in an odd, almost obsessed tone of voice, "You shouldn't talk that way to adults, son." He swung arms this way and that and, before Bradin could even think, had thrown him across the living room to the floor. Bradin scrambled back to his feet but wasn't sure what to do. He knew people trained in martial arts, they were too quick and too tricky-of-wits to keep up with, let alone fight off. Gary had reached Bradin by now and slung him into yet another wall. This time his back hit the wall, knocking the breath out of him and sending pain through his body. Here Gary stopped and stood by, looking at him, "Go to your room _now_, Bradin." He said, er, rather, _ordered_.

Bradin pretended to obey and headed that way but at the last minute made a sudden turn and flew, as best he could with a now aching body, out the front door. Gary scowled and yelled something after him about Jay having told him he was grounded and how dare Bradin leave like that. Bradin ignored him and kept running. He stopped a ways away, but not too far, and fell on the ground, realizing Gary had stayed in the house and shut the front door. He was sitting near the side of the road and realized people were looking at him but he didn't care.

Pulling his cell out of his jeans pocket, he dialed Teresa's number and waited for her to pick up. When she did she was giggling, "Hello?" she kept laughing.

"Reese?" Bradin was surprised his voice was so low, almost afraid. He hadn't meant it to be that way, he didn't know he _was _that way... but now that he thought about it.

"Baby?" Teresa seemed to sense Bradin's unusual quietness. "Is everything okay?" she asked, concerned. "Hold on, Beth." She said to someone else, apparently she was talking to Bethany and had answered Bradin's call as a 3-way. Bradin heard deep silence follow these words and he realized Bethany must have been laughing too.

"Um... can I talk to you alone?" Bradin knew Bethany was Teresa's best friend and that she probably knew about most of everything Teresa knew about, that Bradin hadn't specifically asked Teresa not to tell anyone, of course, but still, he would rather talk to Teresa alone right now.

"Of course!" Teresa exclaimed, sounding apologetic. "Beth, I'll call you back, hang up, okay?"

"Okay, love you."

"Love you too!"

_Click!_

"Okay, she's gone, what is it, baby?"

"Um... well..." Bradin would almost have been laughing at the situation but he was actually in a lot of pain, which surprised him. He hadn't thought any of the throws had been that bad. "Could you come get me... maybe?" he asked suddenly.

"Of course! Why? Where are you?" Teresa asked, still deeply concerned sounding.

"Um... kinda on the side of the road near my house..."

Bradin could hear keys jingle in the background and knew Teresa had realized he meant in the car. "I'm coming, where exactly are you?" she asked. "Mom!" she had moved the phone away from her mouth and was yelling to her mother now, "I'm going to get Bradin, I'll be back in a little while!!"

"Okay, sweetie!" came a reply from somewhere in the house.

"I'm just... near my house, I don't know any other way to mark it." Bradin admitted, seeing as there was no other landmark nearby.

"Well, I'll find you. But stay on the line." Teresa said.

"Okay." Bradin heard a car door shut and the engine start. "I'm sorry about this..." he said suddenly.

"No! Don't be. It's okay, babe. If you need me to get you it's absolutely not a problem, you know that!" Teresa exclaimed. "But what happened? Is everything okay?"

"Jay's father, who I'm starting to think is psycho, kinda went too far with Jay 'leaving him in charge,' that's all." Bradin knew this would need explaining further but he never could help teasing Teresa into having to ask him a million questions just to get an answer to one thing.

"Bradin!" she almost laughed. "I'm serious, what happened? Wait, I see you." She hung up and pulled to the side of the road.

Bradin got in the car and she took off again, passing his house and heading in the direction of where the real "city" part of Playa Linda was.

"Oh, my God. You're bleeding!" she exclaimed, glancing over at her fiancé.

"Yeah... I know." Bradin pulled down the visor and slid open the cover to the little mirror there. He sighed, seeing the right side of his face where blood had run down, and still was, though slowly now. "Got anything I can get this with?" he asked Teresa.

"Yeah, probably in the glove." Teresa kept her eyes on the road as she spoke. She stopped at a gas station and pulled up to one of the pumps. "Be right back." she said and hopped out, heading for the store part.

Bradin nodded, opening the glove compartment and digging through this and that till he found a purse sized pack of tissues. He shrugged. _It'll do._ he thought and cleaned up his face with the aid of the small mirror. By the time Teresa got back outside, pumped the gas and got in the car, Bradin had dealt with his temple and his busted lip.

"So, you wanna tell me what happened?" Teresa said, looking at him.

"Jay's father, who is apparently well trained in martial arts, decided I wasn't obeying him fast enough and took to throwing me into walls." Bradin said bitterly, smirking.

Teresa looked shocked. "Where was Jay!?"

"Jay left for the hospital cause Erica went down when she was surfing sometime this afternoon and broke her arm. She's lucky she's even alive, she almost drowned." Bradin's voice showed that he was relieved nothing more serious had happened to Erica. She _was_, after all, one of his first friends after moving to California. "So he's staying with her as long as the nurses will let him." He finished.

Teresa looked more shocked. "Is she okay?!"

"I hope so." Bradin replied, looking serious. "I mean, I really think she is, it's just, you know."

"Yeah... Well it's good she should be okay. So Jay didn't see any of this shit with his dad and you?"

"No."

"What weren't you 'obeying' him about?"

Bradin laughed ruefully. "I was trying to leave... but I mean, when he told me I couldn't he didn't really wait for me to go back upstairs. But I can't lie, I _did _argue with him... at first. But then he just kind of... went crazy." That was the only way he could think to put it cause that's how it seemed. He _had_ gone crazy. He had taken "punishment" measures too fast and too far... just like Jay had on the beach that day. Suddenly Bradin understood why Jay did that... he got it from his father... his father probably raised him that way. And his father was stressing him out and he probably behaved like his father because of his father. Which made absolutely no sense and yet, was as clear as day. He told Teresa this, she apparently understood it too.

"Yeah... but it's no excuse really." She said, starting the car.

"Excuse, no. But a reason, yeah." Bradin said.

"I guess..." Teresa didn't like that somebody had semi beaten Bradin again... she knew he was afraid of people who were like that. And the thing was, Bradin could fight. He could fight good. But martial arts was a whole different ball game. And as for Jay hitting him, had he hit him back, there would have probably been a fight. And though Bradin was good, real good, Jay was better. And Bradin knew it. So he had just given in to avoid getting his ass kicked. She glanced at Bradin. He seemed to be lost in thought, his gaze straight ahead. Thank God he didn't look quite so emotionally wrecked anymore. He must have "gotten over" it as best he could and was sleeping more now. It, of course, being the whole Nikki thing. She hated to bring it up but she just had to know. "How are things with your sister?" she asked, carefully guiding her car through traffic and back onto the road, in the direction of her house. He snapped back to attention.

"She's said one word to me since it happened." Was his answer.

"What word?"

"Fine."

"Fine?"

"Fine." Bradin confirmed. He knew he was teasing Teresa again. He laughed at her confused face and explained. "She crashed into me running down the hall and fell on the floor, so I asked her if she was okay. That's what she said. She said, 'fine,' and then got up, went in her room and slammed the door." He sighed. "I don't know what to do about it..."

"Have you tried talking to her like my mom suggested, baby?"

"No." Bradin wasn't doing that. He _did _still have some pride and Nikki really had started it. She had blown something small way out of proportion. And he knew she was hurting but... He wasn't even sure he could talk to her, after all, _she_ was the one who said she didn't ever want to be around him again.

"Look, I know 'she started it' but really, it might be up to you to end it, you know?" Teresa asked, looking over at him for a second then quickly back at the road.

"Might be... but I'm not doing it." He knew Teresa was probably right. "Well, I'm not doing it yet anyway." He added, sort of giving in. Teresa smiled. "Okay..."

"Anyway... how are things with your mom?" he wanted to know, getting the subject off of him.

Teresa's face was grim. "She's 'madly in love' and driving me crazy cause she never seems to see me anymore..." she willed herself not to cry, not to even get teary. Not now, not while she was driving and couldn't just fall into Bradin's arms to do it.

"I'm sorry, babe..." Bradin knew Teresa didn't like the way her family had been since her father and brother's death. "Can I ask you something?"

"Mm hmm?"

"Have _you _tried talking to her about it? Bradin used the same approach on her that she had used on him minutes before.

"I-" Teresa started then stopped. "No." she admitted.

"You should. She might not even realize she's brushing you off..." Bradin suggested.

"You really think she'd understand if I told her?"

"Usually if you go ahead and tell somebody how you're feeling, they at least _try_ to understand. And your mom seems to be a really understanding person, so, yeah, I think she probably would."

"Maybe." Teresa wasn't quite so certain. She pulled into her driveway and turned the car off, turning to face Bradin. "But what if she just like, yells at me and tells me I'm being selfish for not wanting her to date and be happy?"

"If you explain it to her I don't think she'd do that, Reese..." he smiled slightly. "Baby, you're her daughter, you _know_ she loves you, I'm sure she'd listen to you and do her best to see things from your point of view..."

"You sound like my dad or something..." she murmured.

"Sorry."

In reply Teresa grabbed his hand and squeezed it. "It's okay. It's a good thing, I like to remember him every chance I get. And everything you just said? He would have said something very, very similar. And you know something?" she asked, her voice soft and low.

Bradin shook his head, his eyes sparkled lovingly at Teresa. "What?"

"He would have been right." She was meaning Bradin was more then likely right also.

"Then you should talk to her." He said quietly.

"I'll talk to her if you'll talk to Nikki, deal?" Teresa asked suddenly.

Bradin was silent a minute. He leaned back in his seat. "I don't know..."

"Come on, it wouldn't be right for me to work things out with my mom and you and Nikki to still be fighting!"

"I guess I could- I don't know, Reese!" he changed his mind.

"Think about it." She opened her car door and got out, Bradin got out of the passenger's side and Teresa locked the car. Bradin took Teresa's hand in his and the two of them held hands as they entered Teresa's house.

--

Jay sighed warily, entering the house he shared with everyone else who, just so happened, to be gone for most of the summer leaving him to deal with everything on the home front. He had thought that would be a good thing, maybe a little less chaos, a little calm, quiet time... but the kids had stayed. Which, of course, had been fine with him. They really hadn't given him any trouble so far this summer. Not to speak of anyway, except maybe Bradin... though even he hadn't really given _Jay _trouble. It was more the other way around. Jay defended himself from his own mind by arguing that Bradin and Lucas were being complete asses to that woman, Marie Carly. Still, he didn't have to be _mean_ to Bradin to discipline him. But mean was what he had definitely been being. He entered the living room and immediately dropped all signs of wariness. He stiffened and stared. His father was sitting on the couch watching something on TV. "Did the kids give you any trouble?" he somehow found himself asking. Why he was talking that way he wasn't sure... that was how _Gary_ Robertson talked, not _Jay _Robertson!

"None but that damn boy, Bradin."

Jay winced at the words. "What did he do?"

"He disobeyed me!! And you, boy! Mind you, it wasn't _just_ me. He disobeyed you too!" Gary said, standing up.

"How so?" Jay wanted to know, he folded his arms across his chest.

"He tried to punch me!!" Gary cried.

"He what?" Jay asked, surprised, not sure whether to believe his father or not. He dropped his hands back to his sides.

"You heard me, Jay." Was Gary's reply.

"Why did he do that?"

"Should I know that? He was trying to leave and I told him not to and then suddenly, he's trying to punch me! He left and I didn't bother trying to chase him down, figured I'd leave that to you. You obviously haven't taught him how to behave to adults."

Jay frowned. "Bradin's not my son, you know. He's only been here a little over a year."

"That's plenty long enough to teach him what's allowed and what's not." Gary was older-school and it showed through with what he said next, "Besides, he talked back to me. Jay, did you ever catch me letting my kids talk back to me!?"

"Bradin's not my kid. I can only do so much, he's Ava's responsibility, so she's in charge." Why was he defending himself to his unfit father?

"If she's raising him like that then somebody else should try to get custody of the child!" Gary insisted. He _was_ crazy, Jay decided.

"Bradin's parents died, Father, they specifically left him to Ava." Jay's frown remained plastered to his face.

Gary didn't seem to know this bit of information by the look that washed over his face... Was that... no! Could it be _sympathy_?? Yes, it was. But it only fazed him for a second. "Well, it was a bad choice on his parents part. Besides, you say he's only been here about a year?"

"Yes."

"Then his parents must have raised him wrong, they must have been bad parents." Gary had definitely recovered his evilness.

This made Jay mad. Though he hadn't personally known the Westerlys he had heard tales from all three kids and from Ava, and no matter what else they may have been, bad parents was something they were _not_. "Don't you _dare _talk about his parents that way! They were much better parents then you ever were." Jay couldn't believe he was actually saying this to his father. He had always submitted to Gary's wishes and opinions in the past.

"I'm sure that's what you think but you're wrong. I was a good father, Jay."

But maybe it was about fucking time he didn't. "No, Gary, you weren't." it was also about fucking time he quit referring to him as his father.

"Now, now, Jay-"

"Where's Bradin now?" Jay interrupted him before he could even start.

"Would I know? He ran off down the beach."

Jay had a hunch he knew exactly where Bradin was. "You stay here, I'm going to get him."

"Good, and when you do, bring him back here, I've got a thing or two to say to him."

Jay didn't reply, he left the house and drove his car the short distance to the Coleman house and parked behind Teresa's car in their driveway. Getting out of the car and coming up to the door he hesitated then knocked 4 times. He had to do this, there was no backing out now.

"Yes?" Rachel Steller, Karen's sister Jay knew, opened the door.

"Is Bradin here by chance?" Jay asked politely smiling, though he felt like doing nothing of the sort.

"Um..." Rachel looked unsure whether to answer him or not. "He might be." She finally said.

"He might be?" Jay asked.

"Yes... it depends on whether you're going to take him back where that monster is or not."

Jay was puzzled for a second then it hit him. Bradin must have said something about Gary. "You mean my father- Gary?" Jay quickly changed what he had been going to say.

Rachel nodded.

"What did Bradin say about him?" he wanted to know. Genuinely wondering.

"Well..." Rachel backed away from the door and Karen appeared from the side.

"Good evening, Jay." She gave a small, polite smile. "Is there something we can do for you?"

"Yes, is Bradin here or not?" Jay said, he was getting irritated and was sure Bradin _was _here.

"Why?"

"Don't ask me why! He's not in your care, he's in mine. Now answer me." Jay commanded, cursing himself for sounding like Gary.

"He's here, Jay, but I'm not sure I can let you take him back to your house tonight." Karen folded her arms across her chest and her smile turned to a set frown. She and Rachel both blocked the doorway.

"And why is that?"

"Because your father is there and I fear for Bradin's safety while Mr. Robertson is there." Karen, Jay suddenly realized, genuinely, seriously, passionately cared for Bradin like he was her own son and watched out for him as such.

"Karen, I would never let anyone hurt Bradin." Jay said, his voice softening.

"And that's why there's a bruise from hell on his cheek?" Karen asked, mockingly raising her eyebrows.

Jay cringed. He coughed. "That wasn't supposed to happen. And it will never happen again." He assured.

"Even if I believe that _you_ won't hurt him, that doesn't make me feel any better about your father's being there."

"Let me talk to Bradin." Jay changed course.

Karen was a silent a minute. She stepped aside and motioned Jay inside.

The three of them, Rachel too, headed towards the kitchen.

Opening the kitchen door Jay saw that Teresa was against a wall trying to ward off Bradin, yell-laughing something at him and making a disgusted face. Bradin was holding something that looked like a bug of some sort, close to her face and saying, "Come on, Reese he can't _hurt _you!" "Nooo!!" Teresa was screeching and laughing and Bradin was laughing back.

Jay cleared his throat. Bradin whirled around and Teresa's face immediately turned to a frown. Bradin's too, Jay realized.

"Bradin, weren't you supposed to be at the house?" Jay asked innocently.

"Yes." Bradin admitted.

"And why aren't you?"

Bradin looked down at his hands and realized he was still holding the grasshopper he'd been teasing Teresa with. Just for the sheer hell of it, he threw it over his shoulder at Teresa. It must have landed on her for she screamed and hit Bradin in the back of the head yelling, "Bradin Westerly!!"

He looked at her impishly. "Sorry." He shrugged. "Oops?"

"Oops, my foot, Mister!!" Teresa tried to look mad but she obviously wasn't. The grasshopper had jumped to the floor and over towards Jay and Teresa's mother and aunt. Rachel bent over and picked it up, laughing slightly. "Really, Teresa... scared of a little thing like this..." she scolded, shaking her head as she took the bug out the door to the to the backyard.

"I asked you a question, Bradin." Jay was stern, but not mean.

"Sorry... I'm just not, that's why." He answered Jay's earlier question.

"You mean, you just left without permission?"

"Yes."

"Bradin, why would you do that?"

"Because..." Bradin wasn't exactly sure. "I don't know." He shrugged, "Cause I thought I could, I guess." He hated that Karen and Teresa were in the room.

"That's not a good reason." Jay frowned. "And maybe you can explain this one. Gary says you tried to punch him, what was that about?"

"He was fucking-" Bradin stopped. He wasn't going to try and explain himself. He didn't care that much. "I don't know." He said instead. Teresa put her arms around his waist and whispered something to him that Jay couldn't hear. Bradin frowned further.

"He was fucking what?" Jay knew Bradin had been about to explain why he'd tried to hit him but had changed his mind.

"Nothing." Bradin lied.

"Bradin, if you had a reason then you had a reason. I wish you'd tell me."

"I didn't." he lied again. Teresa looked annoyed Jay realized.

"He did have a reason!" she butted in. "Bradin, just tell him. Gary's a psycho."

Bradin looked pissed she'd said any of that. "Stay out of this, Teresa." He ordered.

She groaned in frustration and let go of Bradin, moving back against the wall and folding her arms across her chest, scowling.

"Alright. Bradin, come with me." Jay said and turned around to leave. Bradin didn't follow. Jay turned back around, half in and half out the kitchen door. "Come on, Bradin. Now."

Bradin didn't say anything. He followed Jay but stopped again when they got to the front door. "I'm not going back to the house." He said, suddenly sounding like he'd do anything to keep from going back there.

"Why not?"

"Just because." Bradin didn't give a real reason.

"That's not a reason, Bradin. Why?" Jay pressed.

"Because your father is crazy." Bradin stated simply.

"I know that. Now come on."

"No!" Bradin looked defiant. "He's crazy, I'm not going there while he's there."

"I have to back Bradin up." Karen spoke from where she stood behind Bradin. She put a hand on his shoulder. "I can't let you take him back to your house while your father is still there."

"Don't worry, Karen, nobody's going to hurt him. I know what I'm doing." He assured. "Bradin, come on. I need to do something and I need you there in order to do it. Now, just come on!" Jay was getting more annoyed by the second.

Bradin took a deep breath. "Jay, you've been acting weird ever since your father got here. How do I know you don't just want to help him out?"

"Help him out with what?" Jay really didn't know what Bradin was talking about.

"Your father all but beat Bradin up, Jay!" Teresa exclaimed. She couldn't help it, she couldn't see Bradin get hurt anymore.

"Thank you, _Teresa_!!" Bradin yelled at her.

"He did what, Bradin?" Jay asked him.

"He decided I was the alarm clock that won't shut up at 5 in the morning and threw me into some walls, which, by the way, don't budge when you hit them. So, of course, the damage goes to the person instead of the wall." Bradin smirked.

Jay looked shocked. It hit him. "His fucking martial arts, am I right?" now he seemed mad. Fucking pissed, mad

"Yeah..." Bradin wasn't sure who he was mad at.

"All the more reason I need you to come with me." He looked at Karen and added, "If you're that worried, you can come with us."

Karen agreed to this idea. "Okay, Teresa and I will come."

"Okay then. Bradin?"

Bradin gave in. "Do I have a choice?"

"Not really. Come on." Jay led the way out to his car and Bradin got in the passenger's side. Teresa and Karen got in Teresa's car and followed Jay to the Gregory household. While on the way, though the drive only took 2 minutes, Jay talked to Bradin..

"Bradin, first of all, I'm sorry I hit you so hard on the beach that day."

Bradin didn't say anything.

"If I'm being honest, I'm sorry I hit you at all."

"Okay." Bradin said, he glanced at Jay, who happened to be glancing at him just then too. He knew by the look in Jay's eyes that he meant it. "It's okay." He added.

Jay nodded and quickly turned his eyes back to the road. "And I promise you it won't happen again. I know what you've been through, Bradin..." he said tentatively. "I wasn't thinking, if I'd been thinking clearly I never would have done that."

Again, Bradin stayed silent, looking straight ahead.

Jay continued. "I was trying to prove to my father that I wasn't a screw up like he's always told me. But now I realize something..." he paused a second then said decidedly, "I can't prove that to him. He's got no grounds for thinking it in the first place so there's no way I could change his mind..."

"_He's_ the screw up." Bradin stated, surprising Jay with his wisdom on the matter. "He's just trying to make himself feel better by telling you, you are. How the hell that makes somebody feel better, I can't figure..." Bradin glanced at Jay as Jay pulled into their driveway and shut the car off. Teresa's car pulled up behind Jay's and shut off also. Jay looked at Bradin. "Yeah." He said. "You're right. I'm sorry, Bradin."

Bradin smiled slightly. "It's alright. Really. Now what exactly is it you needed me here for?"

Jay opened his door. "I'm about to send some shit back home... But I wanted to tell him something first. Come inside."

Bradin looked puzzled but followed Jay's lead and got out of the car. "Okay...?" he said, unsure.

Teresa came up behind him and took his hand, smiling reassuringly at him. He smiled back, letting her know it was okay.

"Ah! You found the bastard?" Were the first words out of Gary Robertson's mouth when Jay, Bradin, Teresa and Karen stepped into the living room.

Jay stared. "Don't refer to Bradin that way."

Gary raised an eyebrow. "It's only true." He shrugged.

"It's not, Gary. And you have no right to say that." Jay said. Gary started to retort but Jay kept going, keeping him silent. "Also, I don't appreciate you lying and saying Bradin tried to hit you just for no reason."

"He did-"

"AHEM." Jay cut him off. "I believe you forgot to mention to me what _you_ did. Would you like to explain that?"

"It's the only way to deal with boys." Gary said it as if it were a fact that couldn't be proven wrong.

"I don't think so." Jay said, crossing his arms. "And get this, _Dad_, – his voice was spiteful on the word – if you ever lay another _finger _on him I'll-"

"You'll what!?" Gary laughed cutting off Jay, mocking him.

Jay wasn't fazed. He was used to that. "Let's just say, I learned a thing or two from you."

Gary frowned. "You think you could fight me?" he laughed.

"I know I could."

Gary frowned again. "You're dreaming, boy."

"I'm not. And listen to me and listen to me good." Jay stepped closer to his father. "You will either behave like a controlled adult, and have no authority over the kids, or you will leave my house and you won't ever come back. Now you tell me, which one?"

"You told me to watch them!" Gary argued.

"I told you to keep an eye on them, not beat them up!!" Jay yelled at him. "Now make your choice." He commanded sternly.

Gary looked at his son. "I really should have gone to New York."

"You should have."

Gary frowned deeply. "Then I believe I will."

"No one's stopping you." Jay's voice was flat.

"Your Mother, Jay, I ran into her about a week before I left. She asked me to tell you to call her if I ever saw you again..." Jay was surprised his father had gone and said this. He nodded at him. "Okay."

"I thought you should know." Gary almost seemed sad, turning and going out to Jay's room, where he was staying, since Jay was staying in Johnny's room. Jay almost wanted to call out to him and tell him to stay, that he hadn't meant any of that. But he had.

* * *

**Bam! 13 pages of magic... kidding, kidding. Y'all tell me what you think, mkay? And try to deflated my rising ego some, would ya? Unless you just can't find any way... –huge wink- I'm seriously just kidding, but do tell me everything you thought!! And again, THANK YOU!!**

_Believe,  
Anna Christie_


	20. 19: True Friends Stab You In The Face

**I do not own Summerland.**

**So, I have some things I want to say before y'all read this chapter so please take a minute to read this, okay? Thanks. **

**First, I realize everybody in this story is/has been/will be way out of character in certain situations. But that's because, well, honestly, they were never in a situation like that in the actual show, so it's hard for me to know how they would have reacted. (And if they were I didn't see it!) **

**Second, everything's supposed to be really tense and uneasy, with both Ava and Susannah having been gone for so long now. Johnny's under major stress. (reason is in this chapter) And as for Jay's behavior, it was his dad being around. He should be back to normal now though. Anything else, I chalked up to the "mothers" being gone from home for such an extended period of time. And even when they talk on the phone it's awkward and distant. (prime example of that in this chapter, actually, with Brae/Ava.) And no matter who says differently, I'm sure a lot of those reading this, most of them being girls themselves, will agree with me when I say; there's nothing like the presence of a woman, any age, to make things more at ease and happy. (Assuming, of course, that said woman isn't pissed. Haha) Now, my point of allllll this talking is in hopes that this story is believable the way I'm seeing it. But y'all let me know, you're the readers after all, I just write it. ;P**

**Now, personal thank yous then the story! (PS if **_**anything**_** in my story doesn't make sense or is confusing, please just tell me/ask me about it in your review and I'll definitely clear it up!!)**

**angel-prncess-18**, thanks! Apparently I like fighting... I'm a little worried y'all aren't liking what I'm doing with everybody's character but I really hope y'all prove me wrong when you review, so yeah, haha, read and review! Love hearing from you!! (I know, I thought having Teresa's family like, "sheltering" Bradin would be a nice touch. I'm glad you thought it was cute!)

**SoMuch4MyHappyEnding**, lol I hoped Jay's bit at the end would clear him off anybody's hate-list! –wink- Ouch, that sucks. I go crazy when I can't get on the internet! And one time my computer was completely down... AHHHH!! Haha It was ugh! It's okay you missed chapters, I'm just uber (still hate that word lol) glad you're still reading, reviewing and lovin' it!! –big smile- Oh, trust me, it would NOT bore me. I love hearing every little thing from my readers!! Really? Thanks! I enjoyed writing the fight, but I was worried it wasn't real enough! Lol Guess you proved me way wrong with what you said! "**It was so very realistic, and my god, i felt super bad for Brae!**" (it was ch 14 btw but close! haha) Anywho, there will be more Nik/Brae, don't worry! And Bethany's a'comin'!! Soon. Like, this chapter! I hope I don't disappoint. Bethany's one of those characters who's hard to keep in character and yet, not hard. If that makes ANY sense haha One of those where you have to go over and over her scenes to make sure they're perfect! But she'll be around, don't worry! I'm super happy with the love she's getting from my readers, it's great!! (I'm sorry I didn't update that soon but I'm gonna try to be quicker about it next time! I missed the wedding -huge frown- I got sick THAT day and besides, my mom didn't make it either. We were way disappointed but oh, well... Thanks for mentioning it!!) Now, I'll SHUT UP and let you READ!!

**Ash Riley**, -blush- haha yeah, I get what you mean now. I guess I was wondering, was that a good thing? Having a "flair for the dramatic," I mean! Lol (I do like dramatic events... maybe a little TOO much! –nervous eyes-) Anywho, you could? Haha now I'm curious what you would say to deflate my ego... but I'm with you, I don't do that unless I don't like the person or I really love the person and I see that they're changed because they've gotten such a big head, make sense? That's sweet! Actually, one of my BEST friends is a guy I met on this site. So I know what you mean. Thanks, I really am glad so many of y'all seem to like my dialogues because, in all honesty, that was my biggest worry when I first started writing. But everybody who's ever read something I wrote seemed to mention my dialogues. That's nice, at least I know I'm good at ONE thing, right? :P He did kick his dad out. No, he's not nice. I wonder if I have just a tad too many psycho characters in this story but... they're out there, you just have to find them! And besides, what would a story be without every type of person? Awe, you didn't like the grasshopper thing? Haha I laughed at it when I read it back after you mentioned it... it was a tad odd, now that I think about it but oh, well, I think it was like, 3 in the morning when I wrote that chapter! Lol Hope you like the update, I REALLY need to stop talking so much. But I mean, if y'all LIKE that, then I don't but if y'all are like, "GOD, ANNA, SHUT UP!!" then I should hahaha okay, somebody's kinda weirdish right now, no? Read on!! (I'm replying to your PM now! SO sorry it took SO damn long... lol)

**'Kay, guys, here's the next chapter!! And please, if you're reading, let me know! It really is what keeps me writing, if you don't tell me what you think I get discouraged and the updating process takes much, much longer and I usually stop writing for days on end... I mean, don't worry, I won't give this story up cause I've got too many people reading it! But I get a lot more views then I do reviews so yeah, just a reminder, if you're reading, PLEASE review!! Thanks x20000000000000000000000!!**

* * *

**Chapter XIX**

**_True Friends Stab You In The Face_**

"Jay let you off?" Teresa asked, opening the front door to reveal her fiancé.

"Yeah. Why do you look upset?" Bradin laughed.

"Because now _I'm_ in trouble..."

"Oh. Damn."

"Yeah... I'm sorry. I'm grounded for the week... I'm really sorry."

"You don't have to apologize, baby. Incidentally, what'd you do?"

Teresa laughed. "Er... nothing. Something evil, I'll tell you later, my mom's home." She nodded her head behind Bradin and he turned around. Karen was just pulling up in her white Toyota Camri.

"Well, I'll see you soon, then, baby. Love you." He leaned in and kissed Teresa quickly on the lips and turned around to leave.

"Okay. Love you too." Teresa replied and shut the door.

"Hello, Bradin. I'm assuming you found out Teresa's in trouble?" Karen Coleman asked the 17-year-old as he headed down the driveway.

"Yes, ma'am." He stopped and turned to her, she was getting a few bags out of the car.

"I'm sorry, but she has to learn." Karen shook her head, remembering, Bradin assumed, whatever it was Teresa must have done to get in trouble for.

"Yeah... I'll see you later." Bradin said and started walking again.

"Bye, honey!" Karen called after him.

--

"What's the date?" Ava's voice was rushed and out of breath.

"The 19th. July." Bradin added just in case she'd forgotten what month it was.

"Thank you!" Ava didn't seem fazed by the "July" part. Bradin figured she was either in too much of a hurry to notice he had added it or she really _had_ forgotten the month.

"Now what was it you called for, honey?" she asked, now trying to pay attention to Bradin. But it was somewhat obvious she wasn't really.

"Um... nothing... just to say hi." Bradin lied. "And see how you and Susannah were doing."

"Oh, well, that was sweet. We're doing good! I really think this is it, Bradin!" Ava was obviously excited and wanting to share her excitement with someone else. She and Susannah thought this was their Line's big break.

"That's great, Aunt Ava! How much longer are you gonna be in New York?" Bradin was hinting that he wanted her to come home. She didn't pick up on it.

"Well, actually. I was going to call tonight and let you guys know that I won't be able to come back till late August or possibly after Labor Day..."

Bradin hid a sigh. "But you're finally going to 'hit it big,' as you put it, huh?"

"I really think so! Can you believe it!? After all these years!! Finally."

"That's awesome, Aunt Ava! Really. Congratulations, I'm happy for you and Susannah." And he was. He just missed having her around. He had thought it would be great to have a summer without the "parental figure" but he'd had his fun, now he just wanted his "family" back together. And Nikki's silent coldness wasn't helping matters.

"Thank you, honey. So are we!" Ava moved the phone away from her mouth, "Susannah!! Not those, the other two!" she called. "Anyway, I'm sorry to go so quickly but we've got a meeting with some very important people!! It was sweet of you to call and say hi, though, sweetie. Susannah sends her love." Ava said. "Tell Derrick and Nikki hello for us, will you? And I love you guys!"

Bradin was tempted to say, "I would if they were talking to me." But instead he said, "I will."

"Oh! Here's Jane. Bye, Bradin, I love you!"

"Bye, love you – _click_ – too." Bradin shut his phone. He sighed. Well, so much for that. He had been going to tell her about Nikki and ask what he should do. He figured Jay had already mentioned that they "weren't speaking" but he really wanted to talk to her about it more specifically then that.

Bradin was sitting on the front steps. He saw Nikki coming up the driveway with Cameron, their hands intertwined. She saw him and her eyes turned cold. He frowned further then he already was and stared at her. Once they got to the foot of the steps in front of Bradin, he spoke. "Aunt Ava says hi and she loves you." He said, his voice flat.

Nikki nodded but didn't say anything. She started to go up the steps but Cameron wouldn't let her. He pulled her back and moved in-between Bradin and Nikki. "Okay, you guys. Stop it. Now!" he commanded. "I'm tired of being here and seeing you two treat each other like you can't stand each other's asses! What's going on, anyway!? The last time I saw you before the if-you-aren't-nice-to-me-I-won't-be-nice-to-you-either crap started, you were tickling each other to death in the sand!!"

Nikki flinched. Bradin didn't. "Shut up before you get on my nerves, Bale." He ordered.

"I've already gotten on your nerves or you wouldn't say that, so what've I got to lose?" Cameron said evenly. "Now the both of you tell me what the hell is up with you! And do it now."

Bradin glared at him. "Nothing's up with me, it's Nikki." He looked at Nikki.

"Bradin's an asshole." Nikki said.

"I didn't tell you to talk about _each other_, I told you to tell me what the hell's up with _you_. Any clearer?" Cameron smirked. "Now do it right. Bradin?" he turned to the older sibling.

"I told you-"

"Don't you dare!" Cameron cut him off. "With you, Bradin, what's up with _you_!?"

Bradin didn't say anything, he just stared at Nikki.

"Nothing's up with him." Nikki spoke quietly. "I all but told him I hated him..."

Cameron raised an eyebrow but kept silent.

"I guess maybe that was... maybe that wasn't the greatest thing to tell your brother, huh?" she looked down, shifting sand with one foot.

"Probably not." Cameron said. "But why'd you say it? You must have had a reason?"

"I missed Mom and Dad!" Now Nikki was speaking to Bradin and both boys knew it, though she wasn't looking at him but rather the sky. She looked back level with Bradin but looked to the side, still not meeting his eyes. "I said things that night that were absolute, complete lies. I mean, I _do_ see Dad in you but it- it doesn't bother me as much as I made it sound. In fact, it doesn't bother me at all usually... It just was that couple of day and I let it get to me, went _way _too far and I said a bunch of crap that wasn't true that I know probably hurt you more then you want to say..." Now she looked at him. He looked away.

"I didn't mean any of it, Bradin, Jay was right when he said I probably didn't. I just denied the truth because I didn't want to let it go that easy." Her voice was almost pleading now. "I don't care if you never speak to me again but I want you to know that. I didn't mean any of it, I'm sorry and I love you, Brae. I love you." She felt small and helpless, a malnourished child shivering in the icy January weather of the Yukon.

Bradin looked back at Nikki. His eyes said he was still hurt but... "I forgive you, Nik. I love you too and I'm sorry if I did anything... But you'll have to tell me what it was, if I did." He slightly laughed, standing up and coming down to the sand by Nikki and Cameron. He started to say something else but Nikki threw her arms around his neck and hugged him tight. He hugged her back. Cameron backed away up the steps and sat down, giving the newly-friendly-again brother and sister a little space.

Letting go of Bradin, Nikki smiled at him. "Whew. I'm glad Cameron can be an ass when he wants to cause I really missed talking to you!" she laughed and winked at Cameron. He shook his head. "I couldn't stand seeing you two acting that way to each other! That wasn't you, you guys are like, freaking connected or something! So not speaking was a new one on me."

Bradin laughed. "Connected... Hmm, never thought of it like that."

"I think he's right!" Nikki laughed. "Hey, where's D?"

Bradin dropped his smile. "In there not looking at me."

"Hold on." Nikki ran inside and came back a minute later with Derrick. When Derrick saw Bradin he scowled at Nikki. "What!?" he whined.

"D, did Bradin do something to upset you?" Nikki asked gently, siting on the steps and motioning him to too. He sat down and looked at the wooden planks the porch was made out of. "I don't know..."

"You can't not know, D. What is it?"

"He promised me he'd never let anyone hurt you." He looked up at Bradin, who was standing on the bottom step, leaning against the railing. "Didn't you?"

Bradin nodded. "Yes."

Nikki spoke. "When did he let someone hurt me since he promised that, D?"

"_He_ hurt you." Derrick replied, looking at his shoes.

"No, he-" Nikki remembered something._ "That is what I want and I hope you never forget how much you hurt me, Bradin! I bet mom and dad are real damn proud of you!"_

"Oh, D!" He hugged Derrick sideways. "You mean when I said he hurt me, that night we were fighting?"

Derrick nodded silently.

"I was upset, D. I didn't mean any of that. I love Bradin and you more then anything! Neither one of you could ever do anything to hurt me, not _really_." She corrected and assured, making sure both of her brothers knew that.

"You're sure?" Derrick asked, looking at her.

"Yes," Nikki nodded seriously, "I am."

Derrick smiled his little-boy-smile and looked up at Bradin. "Good, cause I didn't like being mad at Bradin!"

Bradin laughed. "Come here, D." Derrick jumped up and stepped down the Bradin, who hugged him tight then let him go. "I love you, D, you know that, right?"

Derrick nodded. "I love you too. And you, Nikki!" he turned to Nikki. She smiled.

"I love you and Nik more then anything and I want you to know that, okay, buddy?"

"Okay. And I love you and Nikki more then anything too." He said, looking first at Bradin then at Nikki. They both smiled.

"Derrick Westerly!!" Jay's voice called from inside the house. Derrick cringed. "I guess he saw I didn't clean my side of the room..." he sulked into the house, pushing the door closed behind him. The three teens laughed at this.

Nikki sobered, remembering the rest of that sentence she'd spat over a week ago. _"I bet mom and dad are real damn proud of you!"_ She looked at Bradin suddenly and said, "Bradin." Her voice and her face were dead serious.

"What is it?" Bradin was almost worried by her sudden seriousness.

"Mom and Dad?

"Yeah...?" Bradin didn't know where she was taking this."

"They _would_ be proud of you, Bradin. I know they are."

Bradin tensed and bit his bottom lip, doing his best not to show what he was really feeling. He nodded at Nikki, shutting his eyes and looking down. Nikki jumped up and embraced him in a tight hug. This time he wrapped his arms around her shoulders and put his head on the top of hers, saying softly. "You too, Nik."

--

Friday rolled around and Teresa was pissed. She wished she hadn't gone and gotten herself in trouble! Bethany was arriving today and Teresa was _grounded_!! Granted, she would be "un-grounded" tomorrow but she wanted to see Beth _today_!!

"Mom..." she asked timidly, coming into the kitchen. Thank God she wasn't confined to her room and instead was confined to the house, no TV, no internet, no phone.

"Yes, sweetheart?" Teresa's mother asked, setting down the Classified section of the newspaper. She must be looking for a job, Teresa realized. So far they'd just been kind of living off Rachel's income, savings and some help from Karen's mother.

"Bethany's coming today... and I wondered if... maybe I could, um..." Teresa coughed. "Could I take today's grounding and do it Sunday?" she asked quickly.

Her mother laughed. "Bethany's coming today, you said?"

"Yes." Teresa pressed her lips together, hopeful.

"Oh, Teresa..." Karen rolled her eyes. "I will let you off early for Bethany's benefit!"

"Ahh!! Thank you so much, Mommy!" Teresa squealed, exaggerating her thank you by saying "Mommy," but she did mean it.

"You're welcome, honey."

"I love you!!" Teresa hugged her mother quickly then turned and ran, literally, upstairs to her room where she grabbed her cell, hit Bethany's speed dial, pressed the phone to her ear and held it there with her shoulder while she ripped through clothes in her closet, looking for something cute to wear today. After all, it was her first emergence from the house in 5 days!

"RESA!!" Bethany's voice came over the line. "THREE MORE HOURS!! CAN YOU BELIEVE IT!?" she all but shouted. "Oops, I'm so sorry. It's just, she's my best friend and I haven't seen her in over a year. A whole year!! Can you believe that?!" Bethany was obviously talking to somebody else near by, who she didn't know. "But I'll try to be quiet, I'm sorry."

Teresa giggled.

Bethany's voice was contained now, though it was obvious she didn't want it to be. "This lady sitting in the seat in front of me has a baby who's trying to sleep. I guess I was being way too loud." She giggled back.

"Awe... And, NO!! I can't believe it!!" Teresa answered what Bethany had first asked.

"I KN-" Bethany started to yell but quickly stopped herself and, again, apologized to the woman in front of her. "I know!!" Bethany dropped her voice.

Teresa laughed. "Maybe I better let you go for now."

"Yeah, maybe..." Bethany laughed back.

"Alright, well, I'll see you in... OH, MY GOD, I'LL SEE YOU IN THREE HOURS!!" Teresa yelled.

Bethany, Teresa knew, was struggling desperately to be quiet. "I _know_!! I love you, I'll see you soon. Ahh! So soon!!" she whispered hoarsely, trying not to make any real noise.

Teresa squealed. "I love you too, girl! Bye!" quickly, she added, "For now!"

She knew Bethany was smiling and she smiled back as they both hung up.

Next Teresa called Bradin. "Brae!!" she exclaimed once he answered. "Guess who's free again!"

"You?" he guessed dumbly, laughing.

"Yep, me! Wanna come over and we can go hang out till I have to go to the airport to meet Bethany?"

"I do want to. I jus have to finish cleaning my side of my and Derrick's room, then I'll be right over, okay?"

"Okay." Teresa smiled. "Bye." She shut her phone and tossed it to her bed. Pushing this and that aside Teresa plunged further into her closet. She realized she hadn't worn that dress she'd bought at Target the other week. The one Bradin had helped her decide on. She also realized she hadn't seen it since she washed it that night either. She came back out of the closet and put a hand to her temple, trying to remember where she'd left it. "Ah ha!" she snapped her fingers and went into her bathroom, shutting the door. Sure enough, hanging on the hook on the back of the door was the dress. Pulling off her jeans and tee shirt, she slipped into the new, white dress. Turning to the mirror she smiled at her reflection. Going back into her room she got her makeup and hair brush. Fixing her hair so that it was up in a messy pony tale and hung loosely in certain spots she nodded, happy with the way it looked, and turned her attention to her makeup.

Teresa had just finished getting ready, shoes and all, when there was a knock at her bedroom door. "Come in!!" she called.

"Hey..." Bradin crooned, coming into her room and walking up to her. She turned around from her dresser mirror and smiled at him. He pulled her to his chest and kissed her forehead. Pushing her back away he turned her around twice and looked her up and down. "You look amazing." He said decidedly.

She giggled happily. "Thank you."

"I mean it. You're welcome." He leaned in and kissed her lips. "So where are we going?"

"Anywhere..." Teresa shrugged. "Anywhere there's air conditioning preferably, though." She added.

He laughed. "We could just stay here if you want to. Or we can go somewhere else." He said, seeing the look on her face. "After all, you must be tired of 'here' after be locked up for almost a week!"

"That's right." She said and laughed.

"Have you eaten lunch?" Bradin asked.

"No, have you?"

"Nope. Would you do me the honor of coming out to lunch with me?" he asked, being gentlemanly.

"Why, I'd love to." Teresa smiled then winked, saying, "Nowhere tacky, buster!"

Bradin laughed out loud. "Damn, I was thinking McDonald's..."

Teresa shook her head. "Nope." she knew he was joking.

"Pizza?"

"Alright." She agreed with a smile. "Let's take my car, though, huh? It's got air! And it's fucking hot today."

"Tell me about it. Forced me off the beach this morning."

Teresa nodded, laughing. "Yeah, my aunt was complaining about it and all she did was go out to water her flowers by the front door!!"

"Well, we'd better go if you still wanna be there to meet Bethany. When's she coming in, again?"

"Four. What time is it?" Teresa asked.

"A little before two." Bradin answered, glancing at his watch. "Come on, let's go."

"Okay, just let me grab my purse." Teresa hurried over to a corner of her room where she saw her purse lying on the floor, half of its contents spilling out on the floor. Stuffing it all back inside, snatching her phone off her bed and shoving it in, she swung the black sequined bag over her shoulder. "Ready!" she announced.

--

"Why don't you just come with me?" Teresa suggested to Bradin. The two of them had just finished lunch and, in order to be at the airport by 3:45pm, Teresa was going to have to drive straight there instead of taking Bradin home first. "You know, that way you won't have to walk home in this heat and all."

"Nah, it's okay. Thanks though."

"You're sure?"

"Yeah, I'm good. But thanks, baby." Bradin assured with a smile. "I mean, unless you're _wanting_ me to come.

"Kinda?" Teresa laughed.

"Sure then, I really don't mind either way." Bradin laughed back.

"Okay, then come." Teresa laughed again.

"Alright."

"Oh, and Brae?"

"Yeah?"

"You better drive, I'm too excited!" Teresa laughed making Bradin laugh. After all, you can't have too much laughing, right?

After driving half an hour the two teens arrived at Playa Linda's small airport. Pulling into the parking lot, Bradin found a parking place, shut the car off and got out. Teresa followed and as they walked through the doors of the terminal she grabbed his right hand and squeezed it excitedly, "I can't wait!!"

"So I've noticed!" Bradin laughed and pulled her to his side. "She really is your best friend, isn't she?"

"YES!!" Teresa screeched. "We've known each other since like, oh, my God, forever!! That was the worst part of leaving South Carolina. I mean, besides the real reason we were leaving..."

"What was the easiest part of leaving?" Bradin asked, changing the subject before Teresa had a chance to think about her father or Matt too long.

"Breaking up with Tony." Teresa laughed.

"Tony? Don't think I've heard about him." Bradin said, sounding mildly curious.

"He was a dumb ass. I mean, he acted real sweet and all until my dad died... then he just kinda... went AWOL. I would call him needing to talk and he'd either not even pick up or talk for, _possibly_, 5 minutes and then say he had to go. I guess maybe he was scared or something but still... He just turned into a jerk and that's not what I needed during all that, you know?"

Bradin leaned over and kissed Teresa's cheek. "I know."

"What about you?"

"I don't know, what about me?" Bradin teased.

Teresa laughed. "No, what about you? What was the hardest thing for you when you moved here?"

"Um..." Bradin noticed a girl standing with a man and woman not too far away from Teresa and he. She was about Teresa's height and age and had thick, dark brown hair that went to a little below her shoulders. She was one of those people that seemed to perpetually smile. As she turned her head towards the couple, though not looking at them, Bradin instantly knew the face from a picture that sat on Teresa's dresser.

In the picture, Teresa had an arm draped around this girl's shoulders, both of them making a "wow" face for the camera, their tongues were coated green. "From Popsicles we 'borrowed' from Beth's little sister!" Teresa had once explained to Bradin, laughing.

Bradin remembered that, in the picture, both girls' eyes had been shining like stars and their hair sticking out wildly, but Bethany's was worse. Teresa had told him that their hair was crazy because they'd just chased Bethany's dog, Booboo, around the house 4 times trying to bathe him. Their faces were slightly red and both of them were beautiful and life seemed to jump out of the picture at you whenever you looked at it. Bradin had always liked that picture of Teresa, and he'd gotten a pretty good idea of Bethany from it too, along with what Teresa had told him about her, of course.

"Come on, whatever was hardest for can't be _that _hard to think of!" Teresa was starting to say. She apparently hadn't noticed her friend. "I mean, if you don't want to talk about it or something then it's totally okay-"

"Reese." Bradin took hold of Teresa's face, cutting her off, and turned it in the direction of who he was sure must be Bethany Miller. A gasp and scream confirmed his suspicions.

"BETHANY!!" Teresa screeched, running forward to embrace her best friend.

The girl jerked her head in the direction of the sound of Teresa's voice. Her eyes grew large and she yelled. "TERESA, OH, MY GOD!!" She dropped the luggage she was holding and rushed Teresa. They each would have knocked the other down if both of them hadn't been running. "Ahhhhh!!" the two girls grasped hands and looked each other over, talking excitedly at the same time.

Bradin watched the scene that played out before his eyes with an amused smile.

"Reese, you're gorgeous beyond it, girl!!" Bethany's voice was breathless. "Pictures do NOT do justice!!"

"Oh, my Lord in heaven, you got highlights! And _blonde_!! You didn't freakin' tell me!! Ahh!!" Teresa seemed aghast that Bethany hadn't told her.

"That dress is _lavishing_!!" Bethany.

"Ah, I love those earrings! Where'd you get those shoes?! You better let me borrow them!" Teresa.

"Of course! When do I get to see your sister!?" Bethany.

"Like, today! Oh, my God, wait'll Mom sees you! She's gonna freak, like, ahh! You've changed so much!!" Teresa.

"So have you!" Bethany. "I can't believe what a false impression you can get from still images!"

"Yeah, but they can tell you a lot too!" Teresa.

"Of course! I'm just saying, you know, there's nothing like the real thing!" Bethany.

"I know! I LOVE that belt!" Teresa.

"When did you decide to wear your hair down!?" Bethany.

"You're wearing the bracelet I gave you! Awe!!" Teresa.

"Of course, silly!" Bethany giggled then screamed. "Oh, my God, let me see the RING!!"

"Isn't it stunning?!" Teresa gushed, showing off her left hand.

"Breathtaking, Reese! Especially considering what it stands for! Oh, my fucking ahh, you're getting _married_!!"

Teresa giggled giddily. "Not for a while, but _YES_!! Can you _believe_ that!?"

"I know!!"

"It's wild! You're wearing purple eye liner!! _Finally_!! How many times did I tell you, you should do that?!" Teresa laughed.

"When the heck did you get green eyes, Teresa!?" Bethany looked shocked as she asked this, as though she had just noticed that Teresa's eyes were green.

"When did I what?? They've always been green!! Are you crazy? Are they greener or something?" Teresa laughed. "And when did you get a figure!?"

"When did you get a BUTT!?"

"Ahhhh!!" the two girls kept laughing and screeching things until Bethany's parents walked over and coughed, good-naturedly, to get the girls' attention.

"Mr. and Mrs. Miller!! Oh, my gosh, I've missed you guys!!"

"Hello, Teresa, darling!" Mrs. Miller, a big, boisterous woman with hair much unlike her daughters, being jet black, and a twinkle in her eyes, much _like_ her daughter's, wrapped Teresa in a bear hug.

"We've missed you too, kiddo!" Mr. Miller added, smiling.

"Dad!! You promised you'd never call Resa that again!!" Bethany yelled, laughing.

"Right now? I don't even mind!!" Teresa hugged Bethany again. "I've just missed you _so, so, SO_ much!! I can't believe you're actually _staying_ here!!"

"Well believe it, baby! This is going to be like, so, incredibly awesome, just like we used to be!!" Bethany said, her voice pure joy. She grabbed Teresa's hand and squeezed it as her eyes fell on Bradin. "And that must be the boyfr- _fiancé_." Bethany started to say boyfriend, but corrected herself.

"Yes!!" Teresa motioned Bradin over. He had been standing off to the side watching the reunion.

"Guys, I'd like you to meet my fiancé, Bradin Westerly."

"Hello, Bradin." Mrs. Miller, not being one to be formal, gave Bradin a big hug.

Her husband, on the other hand, shook Bradin's hand firmly saying, "Nice to meet you, young man. I've heard a lot about you and I'm glad to see that Teresa has found someone who loves her."

Bradin smiled. "Nice to meet both of you. Thank you, sir." He added politely, addressing Mr. Miller.

"Please, darling! If you're a friend of Teresa's then you're a friend of ours. Please call both of us by our first names. I'm Bette and this is Fredrick-"

"It's just Fred." Bethany's dad cut in.

"Yes, 'Fred.'" His wife rolled her eyes, obviously wishing her husband would let himself be called "Fredrick.".

"Thank you, Mrs.- Bette." Bradin stopped himself.

Bethany's mother smiled widely. "Now, Fred," she turned to her tall, well built, ever so slightly balding husband, "let's get the rest of our luggage and go see the house!!" the woman was obviously excited about seeing their new home.

"Beth, are you coming with us or have you and Teresa _already_ made plans?" Fred asked his daughter, his eyes danced. He knew that Bethany and Teresa would be inseparable for a good month... then they'd drop it to 10 hours a day.

"Well... we _were_ going to-"

"Go ahead!" Mr. Miller laughed.

"You've got your phone?" Mrs. Miller added, being a mother after all.

"Yes, ma'am."

"It's charged?"

"Should be."

"Give me all the numbers I might find you at and you're free. I'm assuming Teresa knows her way around the city by now?"

"I hope so!" Bethany laughed. "And if she doesn't I'm sure Bradin does, right?" she asked, turning to Bradin.

"Inside out and backwards."

"Good. Now what are all the numbers?" Bette asked.

"Reese, give her the numbers, I've gotta make sure Dad gets my bag!!" Bethany ran off to find her father, leaving Teresa laughing.

"Brae, can I give your cell too?"

Bradin nodded. "Yeah, of course."

"Here, Mrs.-"

"You stop that right now!" Bette Miller laughed. "You know I hate being called that! And especially by _you_, Teresa! You're like my own daughter!!"

Teresa giggled. "Is Aunt Bette any better?"

"Much." Mrs. Miller smiled widely.

"Alright then, here are the numbers, _Aunt Bette_!" Teresa laughed as she programmed her cell, house and Bradin's cell numbers into Bethany's mother's phone.

­--

"So you're the famous Bradin Westerly, huh?" Bethany laughed as the three teens climbed into Teresa's car half an hour later, after getting the Millers' luggage and seeing that her parents got out of the airport okay.

"Am I famous?" Bradin wanted to know, smiling, amused by the idea.

"Well, pshh, _yeah_!!" Bethany exclaimed. "Among Teresa's friends anyway! I mean, really. The guy who stole my best friend's heart at the ripe old age of _sixteen_!! I swear, I thought Reese would be the _last_ of our 'circle' to get married, not the first!!

"And just why not, missy!?" Teresa asked, pretending to look offended.

"Because you like to have fun with boys! You're a tease! You're crazy, not like, the 'settlin' down' type!" Bethany laughed and shook her head as she buckled into the back seat of Teresa's Mustang. "I am _lovin'_ this car, by the way, girl!! Freakin' awesome!!"

Teresa laughed like she'd heard everything Bethany had just said, but she really hadn't heard much past _"Because you like to have fun with boys! You're a tease! You're crazy, not like, the 'settlin' down' type!"_ She knew Bethany was right... It hadn't shown through very much since her father and brother died but more recently... she found herself behaving closer to the way she had back in SC... Was she really a tease? Was that why she'd cheated on Bradin twice?

A glance at Bradin told her that he had picked up on the same thing she had in Bethany's, meant-to-be-totally-innocent sentence. She looked away from him quickly. She didn't want to know what he was thinking about it.

"Oh, shit. I've only been here like, less then an hour and already I think I fucked something up... did I say something, y'all?" Bethany asked from the backseat, sensing the sudden tension in the air.

"Huh? No, no. So tell me, does Gerard still talk about me?" Teresa snapped back to reality.

"God, yes! He's insane. He still insists that – Bethany changed her voice to a mocking male tone - 'one day she'll come back to me and realize, we were meant to be!!' – she changed her voice back to normal - and we all tell him to get a fuckin' life but like, he's just so infatuated with you!!"

"Eww, he's such a perve! How can the creep even dream I'd ever be with him!?" Teresa made a disgusted face. "And honestly, come _back_ to him!? When the hell was I ever with him to begin with!?" she laughed.

"Never. And it kills him every time somebody reminds him of it too. But we have to remind him cause, if we don't, I think he'd actually start to believe y'all really _were_ together!" Bethany said. "He's a real weirdo."

"I hope he finds a _real_ girlfriend. Did anybody tell him I was getting married?"

Bethany broke out in hysterical laughter before answering. "Yes..." she laughed some more. "And you wanna know what he said?" she continued laughing, waiting for Teresa to answer her.

"No, Beth, I don't wanna know what he said! That's why I asked." Teresa said sarcastically.

Bethany, still laughing, choked out, "He said he'll – the mocking male tone returned - 'fight the guy to the death if I have to! But she _will_ be mine!' – back to her normal tone – and what's so hilarious about that is because everybody east of the Mississippi _knows_ Gerard Andrews can NOT fight. He can't fight worth a fuck. He couldn't fight a 3-year-old!! Do you remember the time he bumped into the door of the gym and cried for a fuckin' _hour_?!" Bethany laughed some more.

Teresa thought about that incident. "I don't know, Beth... I know he's a real wacko but... I kinda feel sorry for him when I think about it."

Bethany sobered quickly. "Yeah, me too really... but he's just so... so... ugh! How can somebody be like that anyway?"

"Maybe he's a little mental!" Teresa said. She wasn't joking. "You know, some birth defect or something... or maybe he's just a nutty nerd!" she winked. "But we should change the subject. Whether I feel sorry for him or not, Gerard Andrews is one thing I _don't_ miss from back home!"

Bethany laughed. "Me neither... well, I might some. He _was _a riot! Remember the incident with Ms. Haley that year we all decided to carol at Christmas for once? And-"

"He fell through her cellar door!!" Teresa finished, turning to the backseat and looking at Bethany. Both girls burst into laughter at the memory, leaving Bradin smiling and shaking his head as he drove the three of them to Teresa's house.

* * *

**There she be! Y'all let me know what you think, okay? Merci!! (Do I talk too much?? I'm really nervous that I talk too much at beginnings of my chapters! I am SO sorry if I do!! Let me know though cause I've had people say they actually liked that so I don't know... arg! haha love y'all!)**

_Believe,  
Anna Christie_


	21. 20: This Is Never Good

****

I do not own Summerland.

**Okay, so I'm trying not to talk as much this round, haha, but here go the thank you's!! (cause y'all are the reason I write!)**

**angel-prncess-18**, thank you!! Yes, indeed. Drama ahead cause after all, what's a book be without some wild drama?? –wink- Hope you like the chapter!! (oh, and thanks, I'm so glad everybody seemed to like Bethany and Teresa's "reunion!") "**im glad nikki and bradina derrick all ,made up...bout time...**" Yep! lol

**acciodanrad9**, thank you so much! I'm interested to see that myself! Lol Soon, soon... (oh, and you said you couldn't wait for the next chapter, well how's one day?? lol Here ya go, hope you like it!!)

**6Ellie6**, thanks so much! I'm glad you liked the sibling scene, it was fun to write! (aren't things though?? Going to be interesting with Bethany there, I mean lol) I'm so glad you already love her! She's a fun character! Oh**, **and you asked; "**But is that 'tease' comment gunna out them on the rocks? Dun, dun, dun! Lol.**" Let me just say, 'dun, dun, dun!' is possibly very fitting! – evil grin- And thank you for your review on chapter 18! Hopefully this'll be another 'magic' chapter LoL!

**froggy2045**, yeah, 18 and 19. It calls them 19 and 20 on here because I had to do that refresher chapter thingy but oh, well! lol Anyway, thank you so much for the review! Oh, and thanks a million for the kudos on the reunion scene and for saying the story's realistic and all!! Means a lot. (Hmm, really? That sucks you didn't get the email. Want me to PM you every time I update?? Lol jkjk unless you do or something! Haha Anyway, I'm actually gonna read your new chapter now! Thanks for telling, though, honestly, I knew you updated, I just haven't gotten a chance to read it! Sorry, but I will now!!) Hope you like the update!!

**Ash Riley**, Oh my goodness, I didn't get your review till just now when I went to do thank you's! It must not have sent me a notification. BLAH! Well, I got it now and thanks for the honesty but also for saying it works overall! Yeah, a fiction site, that's kinda how I feel about it so thanks! –smiles- haha I know what you mean, sometimes I want to tell characters in stories that same thing. Like, you wanna shout at them "HEY, YOU'RE MESSING UP!! Don't do it!!" lol So thanks!! (Yes, it's just plain creepy when a guy gets all obsessive like that over you... haha glad you liked it!! It seems to me that I always manage to "hit home" with a situation with at least _one_ reader in each of my chapters. I think that's really cool!) PS I replied to your PM. Hope you like the chapter!!

**Alright, here goes about 18 pages, y'all! (the reason I mention this is because I'm not sure if you guys like them longer or shorter. Let me know, okay? Thanks!) Also, please let me know if there's anything too crazy or something in my story! Course, then again, to those who have read it, the whole first story was kinda crazy, wasn't it? Hahaha Well, anyway, merci!**

**PS Last chapter I mentioned that Johnny was stressed and that the reason would be explained in that chapter. It's actually ****this**** chapter where that's said, but you'll see as soon as you read it! Sorry about the goof!**

**Now read and enjoy! (or hopefully anyway teehee)**

* * *

**Chapter XX**

_**This Is Never Good**_

One week... two weeks... three weeks. Friday, August 15th. School would be going back in, in just a little over two weeks and Bradin had hardly spent any time with Teresa it seemed like. She'd been hanging out with Bethany for the first two weeks after Bethany had arrived, helping her get settled into her new house and showing her around town. Then they'd gone to a party where Teresa introduced Bethany to Amber and since then, the three of them had been constantly together. Of course, there were several days in the mix where Bradin got to see Teresa, but it was always a group setting or Bethany and or Amber were there... he wasn't getting any alone time with her and it was starting to bug him. He missed her...

"Bored?" Jay Robertson asked, coming into the living room to find Bradin laying on the couch staring into space.

"That depends..." Bradin laughed. He knew Jay would probably find something for him to do that he'd rather not.

"Well, the house _is_ quite a mess and your aunt and Susannah should be home sometime Sunday afternoon..." Jay said slowly. "I wouldn't want them to think we can't take care of ourselves around here... you know, like pigs, mate!" he added, his voice joking.

Bradin laughed at this then said, "That's right, they're coming home..." He hadn't realized Aunt Ava would be home so soon, it seemed like she'd been gone forever and never would come back. "I'll help out, what do you want me to do?"

"First, find your sister and ask her if she'd mind coming home and cleaning up the kitchen a bit... a good bit. And then you tackle this mess." Jay swooped his hand over the living room.

"Alright. Hey, what are you doing?" he laughed suddenly.

"Sleeping in my hammock." Jay said sarcastically. "I'm getting myself out of Johnny's room."

"Johnny's coming back?"

"Tonight."

Bradin hadn't known this. The summer really was coming to a close... "Is everything okay?" something about the way Jay had looked when he said "tonight" made Bradin think something was wrong.

"His sister's sicker..."

"Is she gonna make it?"

"I'm not sure."

Bradin didn't say anything, just nodded. "What's she got again? Leukemia?"

"Yeah. And Johnny went to take care of her kids while she was in treatment... But he's gotta come back or lose his job. Johnny said his boss wasn't mean about it, just stating the facts... So anyway, Sandy's kids are going to stay with their grandmother in Grand Rapids."

"That's a long way from San Fran..."

"Yeah... What are you getting at?"

"I don't know... She has two kids?"

"I suggested he bring them here too, if that's where you're taking this." Jay said. "In fact, he didn't answer me about it..."

_Slam!_

The front door slammed shut and Nikki appeared in the living room a second later.

"Hey, guys!! Isn't Aunt Ava coming home Sunday, Jay?" she asked.

"That she is. Um, would you-"

"Help clean up?" Nikki laughed. "That's why I came home, to make sure you two lazy butts didn't forget!"

Jay and Bradin laughed.

"I'll grab the kitchen, okay?"

"Just what I was hoping!"

"Good." Nikki smiled. "What are we talking about?" she sensed there had been a conversation going on.

"Johnny."

"What about him?"

Jay explained what he and Bradin had just been saying.

"I think he should let them stay here!" Nikki agreed. "Isn't one of them around my age?"

"Yeah. They're 16 and 6, both girls." Jay confirmed. "I think I'll call Johnny and suggest it again.

"Okay. Come on, Brae, let's start cleaning!" Nikki smiled. "Aunt Ava would have a cow if she saw the way this place looked right now!"

Bradin laughed. "Agreed. Go!"

­--

"Oh, I am _so_ tired!!" Nikki said, sounding exhausted, as she threw herself back on the couch in the, now uncluttered, living room.

"Ditto that." Bradin said, sinking down into an arm chair.

"Get up, you two!" Jay said, walking into the living room and clapping his hands twice to rouse the siblings as though it were early morning, not after ten. "I know I didn't get back to you this afternoon but turns out Johnny had already taken my advice and he brought the kids. He just called and said they're about to land, I want you two to go pick them up while I finish getting my crap out of Johnny's room. They're on Flight 220, you shouldn't have trouble finding them or anything. Would you mind?"

"Of course not!" Nikki laughed. "Come on, Brae!"

"You say 'of course not,' but I'm the one who's gonna have to drive." Bradin pretended to be dead tired, dropping his head down on the arm of the chair he was sitting in.

"Oh, get up and come on!" Nikki giggled. "I'll make sure you don't crash us!"

Jay shook his head. "Get going!" he said, turning and entering his, well actually, _Johnny's_, room.

"Keys, Jay." Bradin laughed.

"Right." Jay threw the keys to Ava's car, which she had left for whoever to use while she and Susannah were in New York, to Bradin from somewhere inside his room.

"Thanks, we'll be back!"

After the two had been driving in silence, except for the radio, for a few minutes Nikki turned it down almost all the way and said softly to Bradin. "So um... I've seen the way you look again, Brae..."

Bradin, knowing good and damn well what she meant, played dumb. "What do you mean?" he kept his eyes on the road.

"Bradin..."

"I don't know what you're talking about, Nik." Bradin lied.

"Yes, the hell you do." Nikki said, annoyed. "You look like... like, you have like.. ahh, you _know_ what I'm talking about!!"

"Like what?" Bradin asked, side glancing at his sister.

"Like you're going out to battle! Like you have a shield up all the time!" Nikki cried then dropped her voice low. "I'm sorry, I mean.. you know, like you got hurt and you're trying to make sure it doesn't happen again.. like before any of us knew what Jerry was doing to you."

"Mm." Bradin's jaw line was set and he said nothing more.

After a minute Nikki spoke again. "Brea, I'm not trying to bring anything up but... why?" she said bluntly.

"Why?"

"Why."

"What do you mean?" Bradin wished Jay had just gone and picked Johnny up his damn self.

"Bradin..." Nikki said, being patient but warning him she was about to lose that patience.

"I didn't notice." Bradin lied again.

"Yes, you did. You know what I'm talking about and you know why, you're just not telling me! Now tell me!!" Nikki half yelled.

"Maybe I don't want to talk about it." Bradin stopped trying to deny he knew what she meant.

"Maybe you should."

"Maybe not."

"Bradin Matthew Westerly!!" Nikki roared. "You are _not _doing this!!"

"Doing what!?" Bradin yelled back. "Why are you asking me this?" he asked this much quieter.

"Because I love you and I'm scared for you." Nikki said, her voice almost a whisper.

Taking a deep breath, Bradin gave in. "I don't know... I guess it was Jay and his father..."

"When Jay hit you on the beach that day you're talking about?" Nikki had seen it happen and she'd seen the bruise, though it had long since disappeared, she just hadn't said anything about it till now.

"Yeah." Bradin's voice was soft.

"Why'd he do that anyway, Brae?"

Bradin smiled mischievously. "Let me just put it this way; Lucas and I were playing a little game on our ex-teacher."

"Oh, no..." Nikki didn't know, nor did she really _want _to know, what the "game" had been, but she figured if it was Bradin and Lucas, it couldn't have been good. "So he had a reason?" she asked, carefully.

"Well, we were being jackasses but I don't know if that was a _reason_ exactly... this was like he was just pissed at me, not trying to discipline me or whatever." Bradin said. He turned right. An ambulance came rushing towards them in the opposite lane, lights flashing, siren wailing. Bradin pulled the car to the shoulder and waited for it to pass.

"I hope whoever's in there is gonna be okay..." Nikki said quietly as it flew past. She always felt for anyone who might be about to die... rather, she felt for who they were going to leave behind.

"Yeah." Bradin got back on the road and continued driving.

"So he was just mad?"

"I think so... Which is kinda weird, since his dad hadn't even shown up... I think just having been in contact with him again made Jay that way. He's a psycho by the way." Bradin almost laughed. "Gary, I mean."

"What'd _he _do?"

Bradin shrugged slightly. "Tried to 'put me into line' using Judo or some shit..."

"I thought Jay must have told him off for _some _reason..." Nikki was thoughtful for a second. "I'm glad he's gone... He freaked me out."

"Yeah..." This time Bradin did laugh. "He was weird."

"So you haven't quiet exactly answered me yet." Nikki said softly.

"I don't know really... I guess it's the memories of... you know."

"I see... you're okay though, even if you are guarded, right?" Nikki asked, she really was worried about Bradin.

"Just scared... which I hate admitting but I know that's what I'm denying..." Bradin said, barely loud enough for Nikki to hear over the sound of the engine. She nodded. "I'm here if you ever need anything, okay?"

"I know... thanks. Same for you." Bradin smiled, looking at Nikki for a second then back at the road.

"Thanks. So... what _were_ you and Lucas doing?" Okay, so she _did_ want to know.

Bradin laughed before explaining the incident, to which Nikki replied, shaking her head and pretending to be outdone, though she was really trying not to laugh, "You two are so bad..."

Bradin laughed some more before saying. "It was fun. She's a freakin' _witch_! Wait'll you get her."

"No, thanks!!" Nikki exclaimed. "I've heard tales."

"See?"

"Yes..." Nikki let herself laugh. "But really, Bradin!! That poor woman."

"Who cares, she's a teacher!!"

"Bradin!" Nikki laughed harder. "That's _so_ mean!!"

"I'm just kidding but she's a member of ETAS so really, who cares?"

"ETAS?"

"Evil Teachers Against Students." Bradin grinned.

Nikki laughed too hard to breathe. "Lucas?" she finally choked out.

"Yeah." Bradin answered, turning into Playa Linda Airport's parking lot. "Drunk Lucas." He added slyly.

Nikki laughed even harder, picturing Lucas, er, _drunk_ Lucas saying this. "One of you is gonna kill me one of these days, you know?" she said once Bradin had gotten her to stop laughing and walk inside the terminal with him.

"Nah..." Bradin laughed, putting an arm around Nikki's shoulders and messing up her hair.

"Bradin!" she laughed. "Oh, I see Johnny!!" Nikki exclaimed. "Johnny!!" she yelled to him. He turned and looked her way and waved somewhat warily.

The siblings walked up to Johnny and only then noticed that two girls were standing near him.

"Hey, guys." Johnny smiled slightly. He looked tired. More tired then if he'd just been on a 4 hour flight."

"Hey!" the brother and sister chorused then laughed slightly.

"Um, I'd like you to meet my nieces." Johnny moved to one side and motioned to each girl as he introduced her. "This - he motioned to the younger one - is Fran. And this – he motioned to the older one - is Aubrey."

"Hi!" Nikki smiled. "I'm Nikki and this is my brother, Bradin." She jerked her head at Bradin.

"Hey!" Bradin smiled easily, realizing both girls looked nervous.

Nikki noticed this too and smiled wider. "I'm glad you'll be staying with us for a while... it gets really boring just having two brothers around all the time!"

The sisters smiled. "Nice to meet you two." Aubrey said.

Johnny, seeming glad to have Nikki and Bradin there, smiled and said, "I'm going to claim our luggage. Bradin, would you help me?"

"Yeah, sure!" Bradin agreed with a smile.

"Thanks." Johnny turned to his two nieces, "I'll be right back, guys. Stay here with Nikki."

"You okay?" Bradin asked, once he and Johnny were away from the girls.

"Worn out... I'll be alright. I'm glad Nikki seems to have taken to them, and vise versa, I was worried there'd be a conflict in some way..."

"How's your sister?" Bradin asked.

"She's... I'm not sure." Johnny sighed. "I just hope she makes it... those two girls love her more then anything, their father's already out of the picture."

"What became of him?" Bradin asked, knowing Johnny hadn't meant their father was passed away.

"He walked out on Sandy right after Fran was born."

"That's crazy."

"Yeah. Oh, that's Aubrey's bag, grab it!" Johnny exclaimed suddenly, pointing to one of their bags as it went by on the conveyor belt.

Bradin laughed and obeyed.

--

"So how old are you guys?" Nikki asked, sitting down with Aubrey and Fran on one of the couches set up to accommodate people waiting for their plane.

"I'm 16, Fran's 6. What about you?"

"I turn 15 next weekend, actually." Nikki smiled. "When's your birthday?"

"I just turned 16 _last_ weekend!" Aubrey laughed. "So we're only a year apart, that's cool."

"Yep!"

"How old are your brothers? You said you had two, right?"

"Yeah, that's right. Bradin, the one you just met, and Derrick at home. Brae's 17, Derrick's 11."

"Cool. So um.. do you know where exactly we're gonna be staying at your house?"

"Probably my room." Nikki laughed. "Bradin and Derrick already share a room so I'll probably be told something like, 'Nikki, you can share your room for a while, you've always had it to yourself.' Or something!" she smiled. "But I won't mind. You two seem really nice."

"We are!" Aubrey said, smiling. "So, does your brother have a girlfriend?"

Nikki raised an eyebrow.

"I'm the kind of girl who'd rather find things out right away and not beat around the bush! I think he's cute." Aubrey laughed.

"Actually, he's engaged." Nikki tried not to laugh.

"Oh... wow, never mind." Aubrey giggled. "I'll find another guy then!"

"Yeah, you better!" Nikki laughed lightly, "I don't think Teresa would like it much if you tried to steal Bradin away from her!"

"Teresa is his fiancée, I'm taking it?"

"Yeah. You'll like her. She's really sweet- oh, Johnny's motioning for us, come on!"

--

"Home sweet home!" Johnny said, stepping into the shared Gregory household. Jay and Derrick met them at the door and Johnny introduced everyone then said. "Girls, I'm sure one of the kids or Jay can help you get settled in, I'd like to grab a shower, if that's okay?"

"Of course!" Aubrey smiled. "We'll be fine."

"Good. Jay, could you and Bradin maybe bring in-"

"We've got everything. Go ahead, get a shower and then get some sleep, you look tired." Jay said.

Johnny seemed relieved to finally have some help with things. "Thanks, I could really use the rest."

"Don't worry about it." Jay patted Johnny on the back as Johnny walked past him, heading towards his room.

"Oh, are you-"

"I'm back outside." Jay interrupted, answering Johnny's question before he even asked it.

Johnny nodded and went into his room.

"Let's get that luggage, Brae!" Jay said and he and Bradin loaded it all out of the car and into the house. All 6 bags, Johnny's one, Fran's two and Aubrey's three. Well after all, she _was _16...

"Here, Johnny." Bradin said, setting the bag down in Johnny's room. Johnny thanked him and shut the door.

"Are the girls staying in Nik's room?" Bradin asked Jay, trying to determine where to put the girls' luggage.

"Yeah."

Bradin and Nikki took the bags upstairs, as Jay answered the ringing house phone. Though the two newcomers offered to help, the brother and sister insisted that they just rest and eat something if they were hungry.

Coming back down the stairs, both siblings looked to the living room where Jay was talking quietly on the phone. They both wondered who would call at almost midnight.

"I understand... I'm sure they will too. Okay. Yeah, Johnny just got back... I'm not too sure about it, you'll have to call him in the morning. Alright, Ava. Bye."

"Was that Aunt Ava?" Nikki asked, having heard her aunt's name.

"Yeah... sorry, guys. She says they won't be coming home for at least another 2 weeks." Jay apologized, though it certainly wasn't his fault. Bradin shrugged, he should have figured as much.

"Oh..." Nikki was clearly disappointed but she tried to be cheerful. "Well, at least they're getting somewhere finally, right?"

Jay nodded. "They sure seem to think so! Now, I'm going to make sure Aubrey and Fran have everything they need, then it's lights out for me! Aren't you two tired yet?"

"Passed that about 3 hours ago." Bradin laughed. "Second wind... or third or... or something." He, obviously, _was_ tired.

"And Nikki?"

"Yeah... I'm sure we'll all go to bed before too long. But you go ahead, we'll help Fran and Aubrey!" Nikki offered with a smile.

Jay smiled back. "If it's an order..."

Nikki laughed, and Bradin said, "Yeah, go ahead, we got it."

"Thanks, 'night!"

"Night!"

--

_Knock, knock, knock, knock, knock, knock, knock..._

Bradin groaned. There was a person, apparently, knocking on his balcony door... And they also apparently weren't going to stop until he dragged himself out of bed and opened the door. Where was Derrick anyway...

_Knock, knock, knock..._

Derrick was at Frank's. He was always at Frank's now.

_Knock, knock, knock..._

He rolled over and glanced at the clock. 5:30_AM_!? Who the... He had just gone to sleep less then 5 hours ago! All but falling out of bed, he walked groggily over to the balcony doors and slid one open. The person was still knocking.

"What the h-" he stopped short. It was Aubrey. "Um..." This was weird.

"I had to catch you before anyone else got up!" Aubrey whispered, she almost seemed breathless.

"Uh... why?" Bradin raised an eyebrow. "And out here? What was wrong with the door _inside_ the-"

Bradin was cut off by Aubrey pressing her lips to his. Being still half asleep it took him a second to process what was happening but as soon as he did he jerked away from Aubrey, pushing her backwards slightly. "What the fuck are you doing!?" he whispered hoarsely.

"I want you." Aubrey stated, bluntly.

Bradin blinked. He opened his mouth to say something but shut it again. He'd never been approached this way before. Aubrey started to kiss him again but he held her off. "What are you thinking!?"

"I told you, I want-"

"I know that! Are you fucking crazy!? What do you expect me to do, just let you crawl in bed with me!?" Bradin was, safe to say, in shock by this girl's brashness. He _barely_ knew her!

"Or we could go somewhere else." Aubrey said softly, running a hand over his cheek. She was flirtatious and didn't seem to have much control of herself. Bradin wasn't wearing a shirt and the freshly turned 16-year-old girl touched his chest lustily.

"Stop." Bradin ordered and pulled back from her. "Get the hell back inside the house and forget this ever happened. I can't sleep with you!!" Bradin honestly didn't know how to handle her. If she'd just been some random girl he'd have called her a bitch, flipped her the bird and pushed her over his balcony... Okay, not _that_ part, but he'd have been able to get rid of her easily. But Aubrey wasn't just some random girl. She was Johnny's niece... Oh, shit, she was _Johnny's niece_!! If Johnny got wind of this he'd be certain to think things were quite different then they really were, he'd probably think Bradin had come on to Aubrey, not the other way around.

"Why, Bradin? You're sexy, what can it hurt? I'd never tell..."

"Aubrey..." Bradin warned.

"I promise..." Aubrey whispered, stepping closer to Bradin and putting two fingers on his lips. Bradin jerked her hand away by the wrist and pushed her back once more.

"Aubrey, I can't. You can't do this. This is wrong."

"I'm 16, it's okay. It's not like I've never done this before or something... and I _know_ a guy as sexy as you must be... _experienced_ too." Aubrey found a word to explain what she meant. Though she looked somewhat younger then her actual age, Aubrey Williams was seductive and sexy as any 18-year-old girl could be.

"I have a fiancée who I _love_. I can't do this." Bradin stepped back as Aubrey stepped forward. They were now standing in Bradin's room, though still near the open balcony door.

"She'd never have to know..." Aubrey gave flirty smile. "How long have you been engaged?"

"Um... about 9 months... why?" Bradin answered, careful what he said, not sure where Aubrey was taking this but certain she wasn't just curious.

"I was just thinking about how boring that must be! You're _young, _Bradin... you should get to have a little fun. Come on, what would be wrong with it?" Aubrey again put her hands on Bradin's chest. He grabbed them and went to push her back but she leaned in and kissed him.

"Bradin, have you seen Aub..." Johnny Durant's voice trailed off at the scene that met his eyes. He had burst in Bradin's bedroom door looking for Aubrey. Being restless and worried about his sister he hadn't been able to sleep, though he was dead tired, and he had felt like checking on his nieces since he was awake. He had just been in Nikki's room and, of course, noticed Aubrey wasn't in her sleeping bag. He checked the rest of the house and saw the kitchen door was unlocked but didn't see her anywhere right outside so he started waking people asking if they'd seen her or knew where she was. So far no one had. It looked like Bradin knew good and _damn _well though.

Johnny's face had been covered in worry and fear for his oldest niece's safety. Now, however, those looks dropped away and an extremely pissed one took over. "What the hell is this?" he demanded, coming into Bradin's room all the way. Though he didn't say so, he was obviously addressing Bradin, already thinking exactly what Bradin had been trying to avoid him thinking.

Bradin had been in the process of pulling away from Aubrey when Johnny burst in. Too bad it took just a split second too long.

Bradin didn't know what to say, he could just tell the truth and trust Johnny would believe him. But knowing Johnny... While he was debating how to answer, Aubrey didn't waste time explaining, or even giving Bradin a _chance _to explain "what the hell this was" to her uncle as she cried out, her eyes tearing up as if she were scared, "Bradin kissed me, Uncle Johnny!! Get him away from me!!" She jerked her arms free of Bradin's grasp, he was still holding her wrists, and ran to her uncle's side, sniffling like a child, small tears trailing down her cheeks.

Johnny's eyes narrowed. "_Bradin. Matthew. Westerly._"

--

"For God's sake, no!!" Bradin said for what seemed like the hundredth time in an hour.

"You know... shirtless in your bedroom with the door shut in the middle of the night-"

"It wasn't the middle of the night, it was like, dawn." Bradin corrected.

"Same thing. Nobody was up is the point." Jay countered. "So being shirtless in your bedroom with the door shut while no one else was up with a girl you _just_ met is enough to make us suspicious... But you were also kissing... And she says _you _kissed _her_, so now we even have a reason for being suspicious besides the whole thing just being suspicious."

Bradin groaned. He was sitting in the kitchen with Johnny and Jay.

"Well explain then, mate." Jay said, looking him in the eye. Bradin looked right back. "Shirtless cause I had been _asleep_. My bedroom door was shut cause that's how I leave it when I'm _asleep_ and Aubrey came in through the balcony door-"

"She climbed that trellis siding crap or whatever the hell it is!?" Johnny cut in.

"I'm assuming." Bradin said, "But then, I can't be positive since I was _asleep_!"

"Why do you keep emphasizing 'asleep' anyway?" Jay asked.

"Because neither one of you apparently believe me." Bradin was exasperated. He'd been sitting here a damn fucking _hour_ with these two trying to explain his way out of being accused of kissing Aubrey against her will.

"What were you planning on doing to her anyway, Bradin?" Johnny asked, ignoring Bradin's argument that he'd been asleep and Aubrey had just so happened to climb up to his balcony, knock on his door and when he opened it, fall into his arms and kiss him. Which was, of course, exactly what she did but really, who was gonna believe _that_?

"KICKING HER ASS OUT OF MY ROOM!!" Bradin finally yelled. He'd been keeping his anger at bay the whole time he'd been "interrogated" by Johnny and Jay but this wasn't ending and it was getting ridiculous- no, wait! Ridiculous passed by 59 minutes ago, now it was completely _idiotic_.

"Damn you, Bradin Westerly! She fucking _just_ turned 16!! I thought you had a girlfriend anyway!? What are you doing messing around with my _innocent_, just _barely _16-year-old niece!?" Johnny jumped up, anger quite clearly apparent in his voice and manner. Jay jumped up beside him and grabbed his arms saying, "Whoa, Johnny... calm down. Don't do something stupid!!"

"Let the hell go, Jay!" Johnny commanded. He didn't even sound like himself, he was obviously much out of sleep and under a lot of stress therefor, not thinking clearly, if thinking at all.

"Johnny..." Jay warned, trying to keep Johnny from lashing out at Bradin, which is what he was about to do.

Bradin stood up and backed away a few feet. "Johnny... I didn't do anything to her. I _swear_ on my sister's life!!"

Johnny stopped trying to get free of Jay's grasp. "On your sister's life?"

Bradin nodded. "Yes."

"So you don't love her anymore either!?" Johnny yelled, stepped around the table and lunged at Bradin all in one fell-swoop before anyone could react. Jay had, unfortunately, let him go thinking he was calmed down enough now. Apparently not.

"Johnny!!" Jay yelled and crashed around the table, grabbing at Johnny's arms and waist, trying to pull him away from Bradin, who he had pinned against the wall and was in the process of "destroying." "Get the fuck off of him! Johnny!! Johnny, now, get off!! You're gonna hurt him, Johnny, get the hell away from him!!" Despite Jay's yells, Johnny kept hitting

However, Bradin wasn't just going to be a punching bag if he could at all help it. After about 7 hits from Johnny it was evident the middle aged man wasn't in a clear mind and that he wasn't going to quit so Bradin tried to think of something to do to fight back. Punching him back wasn't going to do much good because Johnny was angry and Bradin wasn't as strong as him... especially not with the added strength of his anger... Bradin was a good fighter but he wasn't a good attack victim. It was a lot different to be attacked then it was to get in a fight. But he had learned one move that almost always worked, whether the other guy was stronger then you or not. Bradin took two more hits while waiting for his opportunity, then moved with the speed of striking snake, ramming his head forward into Johnny's nose and, at the same time, pulling his knee up into Johnny's groin with force. The older man exclaimed something nobody made out and let off Bradin just long enough for the teen to slip away from Johnny and for Jay to get a hold around Johnny's arms and shoulders.

Bradin leaned his back against the wall by the back door, trying to catch his breath. Jay had pushed Johnny against the opposite wall and was talking to him in a stern but calming voice, trying to make him think rationally again.

"Go to bed, Johnny. Just go. I'm up now, I'm not gonna let anything happen to Aubrey _or _Fran. Go. You're not in your right mind, man... just go." Jay was saying lowly.

Johnny suddenly pushed Jay backwards with great force, sending him flying into the table and chairs and crashing to the floor with a groan. "Get out of this house, Bradin. Now!" Johnny ordered, erasing the gap between himself and the 17-year-old as he did. Jay was trying to pull himself up from the floor but his head was splitting from where he hit it on the table when he fell and he fell back.

"Not without my brother and sister." Bradin said, standing straight, ready to fight Johnny again if he had to.

"No, just you, Bradin. They can stay. Get out."

"I will not leave this house without Nikki and Derrick." Bradin stated firmly. "You can't command me to leave my siblings here. They're not even in your custody!"

"Get out, Bradin." Johnny warned, now only a foot and a half remained between he and Bradin.

At that moment Nikki appeared in the doorway to the kitchen, she was fully dressed and was holding to the hand of an, obviously still half asleep, Derrick, still in pajamas. Bradin caught her eye and shifted his to the left to indicate that she go out the front door. She nodded and disappeared.

"Bradin, if you don't leave I might go crazy again."

It finally dawned on Bradin that the sane part of Johnny was trying to protect Bradin by telling him to get out of the house.

"I'm leaving." He backed out the kitchen door, calling to Jay, "Are you okay, Jay?"

Jay, who had managed to sit up, dizzily, nodded at Bradin, clenching his jaw against the pain in the back of his head.

"Okay..." As soon as he was out of the house he rushed to the front, grabbed Nikki's hand and started walking down the beach, away from the Gregory household.

"What's going on!? Bradin, you're bleeding!!" Derrick's voice was frightened.

"It's okay. Johnny's just... uh..." Bradin looked to Nikki for help.

"Johnny is um..." Nikki wasn't sure what Johnny was doing right now.. she didn't even know why he was mad at Bradin! She said the simplest thing she could think of to explain his behavior without really knowing what was up. "He's drunk."

"You have your phone, Nikki?" Bradin asked.

"Yeah, here." Nikki handed her phone to her brother and watched him as he dialed a number she wasn't familiar with.

"Erica? Hey, sorry if I woke you up, this is Bradin." Bradin spoke into the phone. "Yeah, no, I'm fine, I guess, but uh... actually, Jay might need some help, he's at the house." Bradin paused, apparently listening to Erica talk on the other end. "Yeah, but be careful if you go there... Johnny's acting... strange. No, I'm not sure, but he might. Yeah... Okay. No, I'm fine. I'm just gonna go to a friend's. Yeah, Nik and D are with me so we're fine." Again, Bradin paused, listening to Erica. "Okay. You're sure you're okay, right? You know, the ankle and all? Alright. Sure, bye. Yeah, this phone. 'Kay, talk to you later." Bradin shut Nikki's phone and handed it back to her.

"Where are we going anyway?" Nikki asked.

"I don't know..." Bradin admitted. It was quarter till 7 and Bradin didn't really want to bother anybody he knew... He thought of Teresa but she and her family had already done enough for him after the whole Jay-and-his-judo-king-father incident.

"I mean, you told Erica we were going to a friend's..." Nikki said. She _hated_ when family's, especially hers, fought this bad. What had Johnny gone berserk for?

"Yeah... I was just saying that so she wouldn't freak out. I could probably call her back and she'd let us come there if you want." Bradin suggested.

"Okay." Nikki liked Erica. She had this calming effect even when things were crazy.

"Phone." Bradin said.

"Oh, here." Nikki chuckled nervously at herself. She really, really, _really_ hated when fights.

"Hey, Erica, sorry to call again when I should have just said this the first time but do you think we could just come over-" Bradin stopped short and smiled. "Okay, I'll see you soon." He hung up and spoke to Nikki. "She said absolutely! And that she won't tell anybody we're there and she'll be back after she checks on Jay but the door will be unlocked so we'd better get our asses there fast before somebody decides to walk in!" Bradin laughed, taking a deep breath after his long sentence.

"Good, let's go!" Nikki said. She was still holding to Derrick's hand she realized. She pulled him to her side and hugged him, realizing they'd been ignoring him and that he looked really scared and confused. "It's alright, D. Everything's okay, just... things are a little crazy right this second..." It struck Nikki that she sounded just like a combination of her mother/aunt/Susannah.

"But Bradin's hurt." Derrick whimpered.

Bradin hadn't thought about that fact that he probably looked worse off then he actually was. Blood had a way of doing that. "I'm alright, D. I promise." He smiled at his brother and hugged him.

"Come on." Nikki led the way to Erica's house and, once they were inside, helped Bradin clean up his face. Overall, he only suffered a few ugly bruises and one semi-deep cut on his cheek.

"That must be from when Johnny slammed me into the wall..." Bradin said ruefully. "I remember he had my head turned that way when he did."

"But what actually cut it?" Nikki wanted to know. Walls weren't sharp last time she checked.

"There's a nail in the wall right there, remember? The one where that... that what-the-fuck-ever-it-was used to hang."

"Oh, _yeah_..." Nikki had forgotten about that... um... thing. Nobody really knew _what_ it was. It just used to hang there for some reason. It was like a tapestry of some sort, Nikki guessed. But it was just one of those things you looked at and thought, "What the hell is that anyway?" about. It had been retired to the attic, Nikki knew. And thank God! "Damn that nail." She said aloud, trying to get the cut to quit bleeding entirely.

"You know, so long as it's not bleeding _bad_ it will just start to dry up and scab, so you can let it be." Bradin said with a slight laugh at how motherly his sister was being.

"Yeah, I guess that's better." Nikki agreed and put Neosporin on it then left it alone, though it bugged her still. "Bradin?"

"Yeah?"

"Isn't that nail stuck _in_ that wall?"

"Yeah." Bradin was puzzled as to what she meant.

"Well, then how did it cut you?"

Bradin shrugged. "One of those flukes, I guess. But don't think it didn't bruise it either." He laugh wryly. "It hurts like hell and it isn't the _cut_ hurting. I swear, when we go back home you can look at the nail, I bet it's pushed further in the wall then it used to be."

Nikki cringed and clenched her jaw. Thinking about having your head slammed into something like that with so much force scared her stupid and she almost felt the pain herself. She shook her head. "Ugh..."

"Yeah. But anyway, I think you got it here, thanks."

"You're welcome." Nikki smiled. "Do you hurt too bad?"

"Not really... well, I don't know, the nail thing drowns out everything else."

Nikki cringed again. "Let's go back in the living room with D." she suggested, trying to clear her head of the thought of that damned nail.

Bradin nodded agreement and followed his sister out of Erica's guest bathroom.

"I'm surprised it didn't break anything..." Nikki commented as they walked into the living room and found Derrick asleep on the couch.

"What was there to break? It hit the cheekbone and bruised the shit out of it and just pushed itself into the wall for the rest of the force..." Bradin shrugged. "Damn, I'm tired."

"What happened anyway, Brae?"

"Johnny went wild because he thought I had kissed Aubrey."

"Huh?"

Bradin shook his head and explained the whole incident, finishing with, "And I swear that's the truth."

"She climbed up the wall to get to you!!" Nikki was shocked.

"Yeah... don't you believe me?" Bradin asked cautiously.

"Yeah, yeah, I do! That's not what I meant, I just meant... well, to be honest, I knew she liked you but good gosh, I didn't think she'd do _that_!" Nikki frowned.

"You knew she liked me?"

"At the airport, one of the first things she asked me was how old we all were and then if you had a girlfriend. But when I told her you were engaged, she said, 'oh, wow, oops. I'll just have to find another guy then.' and we laughed. I seriously thought she got the message. What'd she say?" Nikki asked.

"Um... 'I want you.' and that's about it. Telling me I should have a little fun and what could it hurt if my fiancée wasn't there to see."

Nikki looked disgusted. "Suddenly I don't like her so much anymore."

"Tell me about it." Bradin smirked. "She's a damn good actress."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, when she turned it all on me, even _I_ would have believed that I had come onto her! That is, if I hadn't been there." The 17-year-old frowned.

"Little slut."

Nikki and Bradin both turned their heads in the direction of Erica's Spalding's voice.

"Who? Aubrey?" Nikki asked.

"Yeah, I heard the whole conversation." Erica dropped her purse on the coffee table as she walked into the living room.

"How?" Nikki laughed.

"I kinda... eavesdropped, sorry."

Bradin rolled his eyes. "So is Jay alright?"

"He's got a knot on the back of his head but other then that, yeah, he's fine." Erica frowned. "Johnny really went insane..."

"I think he's crazy out of sleep and stressed from the whole thing with his sister, but still..." Nikki said quietly.

"I agree." Erica grimaced. "Bradin, your face..."

"I'm okay." Bradin assured, giving Erica a smile. "What's a little pain anyway?"

Erica shook her head. "What is it with you, Bradin Westerly!" she laughed. "You can put _anybody_ at ease during _anything_ and you can make the biggest stuff seem like it doesn't matter!"

"Bad thing?"

"Not at all... just wondering how you do it." Erica chuckled. "Are you guys hungry?"

"I am!" Derrick's head shot up. He had been waking up and the mention of food finished the process.

Erica looked at him and laughed, "Okay then!! Come get something!"

Derrick smiled widely and followed Erica into the kitchen. Both older siblings did the same

After making Derrick some breakfast, Erica grabbed a Granola Bar, offered one to Nikki, who accepted and Bradin, who declined, and the three of them stepped back into the living room.

"So I told Jay I knew where you guys were and that you were safe but that I couldn't tell him where because you had requested it." Erica said, sinking down onto one end of her couch, Nikki taking the other and Bradin leaning against the wall closest to the two girls. Erica lay back on the couch and kicked her feet over the arm, saying between chewing, "If you want to stay here tonight, you're welcome to, okay?"

Bradin looked at Nikki and Nikki nodded. "Okay, thanks. We probably will."

"Okay. Wont' you guys need anything from your house?" she asked, moving her eyes to look at Nikki upside down.

"Yeah, but if Bradin goes there it could be bad, and if I go... well, I don't know actually." Nikki laughed.

"I could go with you."

"Then Johnny might figure where we are." Nikki said.

"I'll call Jay and ask him to tell me when Johnny's not around."

Nikki looked to Bradin. He nodded approval of the plan and Nikki agreed.

Erica rolled off the couch to her feet and crossed the living room to grab her cell phone. After dialing and waiting a few seconds for somebody to pick up, Erica asked. "Johnny? Is Jay around? Okay." Erica waited another few seconds then smiled. "Hey, baby. Listen, is Johnny gonna be there all day?"

Bradin went back into the kitchen and sat down at the table across from Derrick. "Hey, D."

"Hey..." Derrick looked up at his brother and cringed saying, "Ouch?"

Bradin raised an eyebrow, "What?"

Derrick pointed to the cut on Bradin's face, saying, "That."

"Oh. Yeah, ouch, but I'm okay." Bradin smiled. "We're gonna stay here tonight, alright?"

Derrick seemed to not understand why but he didn't argue. "Okay."

Erica walked in at that moment, saying, "Jay said Johnny just left for work so we're heading there now. And you guys can come, I mean, he's gone for the day, obviously."

"Alright." Bradin agreed and he and Derrick, who had just finished his breakfast, stood up.

"We'll take my car." Erica said, grabbing her keys off the kitchen table.

--

"No, I think they should just stay with me tonight." Erica said in an undertone. She was talking to Jay while the Westerly siblings got the stuff they would need to stay at least two nights at Erica's.

"I guess you're right. I don't understand what's up with Johnny... I mean, I guess we're all just... I don't know." Jay was at a loss of words to explain what he meant.

"It's been a really crazy summer, I know. Things have been weird..." Erica supplied, understanding what he meant.

Jay nodded. "They really have."

At this moment Aubrey walked into the kitchen. "What's going on, Mr. Robertson?" she asked politely.

"What do you mean? And just call me Jay."

"Alright, Jay." Aubrey smiled. "I guess I mean, um... Why won't Nikki tell me why she's packing stuff?"

"Um... she's staying with a friend for a few nights, I'm not sure why she won't tell you." Jay answered.

"Oh. And the boys are too?" Aubrey asked.

"Yeah..."

"Good, I was gonna be nervous with Bradin still here..." Aubrey pressed her lips together and twiddled her thumbs. "Um... is there something Fran and I could have for lunch?"

"Of course. What would you like?" Jay asked politely. Truthfully he was more inclined to believe Bradin then he was Aubrey about the whole "kissing" incident, but Aubrey was Johnny's guest and so he had to be kind to her and, at least pretend, he believed her.

"Oh, um... just anything."

"How 'bout I order pizza?" Jay suggested.

"That would be great, thanks!"

"Will everything be alright?" Jay asked, referring to toppings.

"Everything would be awesome!!" Fran Durant exclaimed, bursting into the room. Johnny's sister had taken her maiden name back after her husband left her.

Jay smiled. Despite anything Aubrey might be, he couldn't help but automatically fall in love with Fran. She was cute as a button with her light brown hair, baby blue eyes and tiny freckles on her nose.

"Yeah, everything would be great." Aubrey smiled, took her sister's hand and walked out the back door, saying, "Come on, Fran, let's go outside for a while!"

Jay and Erica watched the sisters until they were outside.

"That's the girl he supposedly came on to?" Erica asked, turning to Jay.

"Yeah."

"Not his type." She smirked.

"How would you know what 'his type' was if all he wanted to do was sleep with her?"

"Bradin? He's not like that." Erica said seriously. "He may be hot and all but he actually cares about his girl and would never do anything to hurt her. I don't think he'd do that unless he was drunk or high or something."

"How 'bout extremely pissed?"

"At Teresa?"

"Yeah. She's cheated on him, you know." Jay said quietly.

"No, I didn't. Hmm that's interesting."

"Yeah, and that's the only reason I'm even considering that Bradin wasn't the one telling the truth."

"Bradin was the one telling the truth." Came Bradin's voice from behind the couple.

Jay and Erica whirled around to see Bradin standing in the kitchen doorway.

"Jay, I swore on my sister's _life_ that everything I told you and Johnny was the truth." Bradin continued, speaking seriously as he walked fully into the kitchen.

"You're right." Jay considered for a second. "I believe you. But I'm not so sure about Johnny..."

"I know. That's why I'm not staying here tonight." Bradin stated wryly. "We're ready to go, by the way, Erica."

"Alright, let's go then." Erica smiled and Bradin went off to get Nikki and Derrick.

"I'll call you later." Erica said, pecking her boyfriend on the lips.

Jay kissed her back and said, "Take care of them for me."

"I will. Love you."

"I love you too."

* * *

**Hmm... now um, reviews, anybody?? Thank you!! (I realize everybody's fighting a lot but I hope it's still believable. (or maybe I just know too many people who fight! lol)**

_Hugs,  
Anna Christie_

**PS Does anyone know Lucas's last name? I'll need it for an upcoming chapter, thanks!**


	22. 21: Okay, It Was Me

**I do not own Summerland. (Can that be a duh now?)**

Whoa there, y'all! I realize she did something horrible but don't go hatin' on Aubrey just yet... you never know, she may not be all that bad. Let's give her a second chance, okay? Remember, everybody deserves one.

**Candace Storms**, eeek –squeal- ohmygosh, you're reading!! :D I totally thought you had disappeared from this site! I'm SO major happy you're here though! Hey, you! Knock that off, you're doing it again!! Haha like, totally saying what I have in mind for the story!! Only, I had Carl coming to Playa Linda and screwing things up but then this other idea hit me and so I'm pretty sure I'm going with that, but if you'd gotten here more towards the beginning, you so totally would've hit that nail on the head!! Ouch, that's a LOT to keep up with. I hope you can still find time to read, cause I'm really excited for you to see how this story goes!! Anywho, I would keep talking, and talking, and- you get the idea, but this is an update, so I have to shut up... Maybe you have AIM or MSN though? Anyway, enjoy the new chapter!!

**angelprncess18**, lol psycho nanny Carrie. Love that! (Yes, I do watch OTH, it's awesome!) Yeah, I'm sure Teresa's gonna figure it out somehow. And who knows, Aubrey may not be _mental_ though that was a bit of a "mental" moment, I have to agree. Keep reading though, this chapter explains everything! The fighting should subside now that the summer has come to a close and Ava and Susannah should be back soon. (Really? I'd love to know what is you think I'm gonna do next, you should mention it in your reviews! It's always fun for me to see, and hey, you just might get it right!) Enjoy the ch!

**Ash Riley**, they might be annoying, but they might not. Don't really know yet, do we? (BTW, try not to hate Fran, huh? She's only 6. Lol!) Anywho, everybody should get along again soon. At least, for a little while! :P The sisters might cause trouble being there but who knows... well, except for me, of course! Teehee. Yes, it's a trend. Actually, I don't know why I always have everybody "beat Bradin up" but it just seems to work... if that makes any sense whatsoever. Haha Thanks anyway, I couldn't find Lucas's last name on any websites either. And I got two different answers so I do think I'll just make one up like you suggested. (Okay, can't wait to get your reply but don't sweat it, I know how being busy is!! And thank you for your "vote" on my chapter lengths.)

**acciodanrad9**, thank you so much! Here's your answer to whether they figure it out or not, read on!! I hope you like it.

**froggy2045**, it's okay, thanks anyway. (about Lucas's last name I mean haha) Wow, skank. Lol I see Aubrey has made no friends yet... but she might! Yeah, Johnny went crazy but really, Aubrey's like a daughter to him and he's trying to be everything their mother would be if she were there, y'know? Usually, guys who try to be mom and dad to a child end up being too extreme. At least that's what I seemed to observe. Anyways, thanks a million and I hope you like the update!

**SoMuch4MyHappyEnding**, thank you so, so, so much!! You're awesome, girl! I'm glad you like the Brae/Nik scenes. I agree, there wasn't enough of that in the shows. And being as how I have close relationships with both of my brothers, it's easy for me to write it, I'm just glad you like reading it! Daaaammnnnn, I seriously made Aubrey an enemy. Which I didn't want to! Haha Actually, I thought about that EXACT scene you mentioned, (Aubrey doing that again and Teresa seeing) but I decided against it in favor of something else, hopefully something better! Lol I know, I love Erica! (I just realized I've been spelling it differently then everybody else... oh, well! lol Anyway, I hope you love this chapter, but let me know!!

**6Ellie6**, thanks so much! (you like the chapters being long or not? Since you emphasized it being LONG haha) Yeah, Johnny probably shoulda' chilled out a little... but he didn't! xP Yeah? Haha cool, well, I hope you like where I take the Aubrey character next! (I PMed you about your question btw) Glad you liked Erica being around, she'll be back at least fairly often, promise. Well, wait no more, cause here it is!! I hope you like it!

**Here y'all go, and remember that reviews are the only thing that keeps me writing!! Enjoy!**

* * *

**Chapter XXI**

**_Okay, It Was Me_**

A week passed and Jay felt it was fine for the Westerly kids to come back home. Johnny had had plenty of time to cool down and think rationally about the whole situation and besides, Nikki's birthday was tomorrow, the 24th, and Jay thought she should have as close to a family as she could for it. And then Bradin's was the 1st and school started the day after that. Derrick's birthday had passed over the summer. They had thrown him a party and Jay was sure he had met some new friends there. One in particular being a boy named Frank whose house Derrick always seemed to be at now. Frank had a Wii.

"Let's go, guys!! Jay wants you home cause Ava called and said shouldn't you guys go school shopping within the next few days!" Erica Spalding called through her apartment.

"We're coming, shit!" Bradin exclaimed, coming out of the room he and his brother had been sharing. Nikki had been in Erica's room with her that way nobody had to take the living room, though Erica's apartment was only a two bedroom. "Hey, it's not that _I_ want you to go or anything! It's been fun with you guys here!" Erica laughed. "Normally I'm bored half to death when I'm at home, so don't blame me!"

"I'm not. It's Aunt Ava." Bradin chuckled. "I can't believe school's starting back."

"Yeah, the summer just kinda... flew by!!" Nikki Westerly butted into the conversation between her brother and Erica as she lugged her bag out of Erica's room.

"It did." Erica agreed, helping Nikki take her bag downstairs to Erica's car. Bradin followed with his and Derrick's bags and Derrick followed with... a sandwich? Yep, three bites gone at that.

Erica jogged back up the stairs, locked her door, jogged back _down_ the stairs and started her car as the three siblings climbed in and buckled up.

On the drive over, Erica asked. "So are you guys sure about going home?"

"If Jay says it's safe, I guess it is..." Nikki said from the backseat.

Bradin shrugged when Erica glanced at him. "I guess, whatever, you know."

Erica shrugged back. "Okay, but you're all welcome at my place whenever, alright?"

"Thanks." Bradin smiled.

"Radio!" Nikki exclaimed in a laugh.

Bradin chuckled and turned on the radio at his sister's request. All four of them laughed and sang along, somewhat out of tune, to Weezer's _Beverly Hills_. The song went off just as they pulled into the Gregory driveway. Bradin was surprised to see his aunt waving at them from the front porch.

"Aunt Ava!!" Derrick exclaimed, jumping out of the car before Erica had even cut the engine and running into his aunt's arms.

"I knew she'd be back for our birthdays!!" Nikki exclaimed, directing this at Bradin. "Can you believe you're gonna be 18!? I can't believe it's been almost two years since Mom and Dad-" she stopped abruptly then jumped out of the car, running up to her aunt in nearly the same fashion as Derrick had, hugging her tightly once she reached her side.

"Wow, I didn't realize you guys were both hitting a landmark age this year..." Erica commented, digging something out of her purse, not having really caught what Nikki just said about their parents.

"Yeah..." Bradin mumbled getting out of the car to help Jay, who had come out to the car, take the bags inside the house.

On their way upstairs Jay said lowly, "Hey, Brae, try to um... stay away from Johnny and his nieces, okay?"

Bradin glanced at him. "He's still pissed?"

"I'm pretty sure he still believes Aubrey. Just stay clear, huh?"

"Yeah, sure. I will, thanks for the heads up." Bradin said.

Jay nodded, leaving Bradin in his room. "We're grilling tonight. Come out back!" he called over his shoulder as he headed back downstairs.

After a few minutes Bradin joined everyone out back. Everyone was standing or sitting in the sand talking and laughing and looking happy for a change. Bradin leaned on the railing that surrounded the porch and looked out over the faces. They didn't seem to notice him there and he liked it that way. Sometimes he just liked to observe and not take part. Jay passed him by on his way into the house then passed him back by on his way back outside, this time carrying packages of hot dogs, sausages and hamburgers. He stopped at the foot of the steps and called up to Bradin with a laugh, "Come down here!"

Bradin just shook his head and smiled softly. Jay looked puzzled but didn't say anything and hurried off to the grill where Johnny was already getting ready to cook the meat.

"Bradin!" Ava exclaimed suddenly, running up the few steps to reach her nephew. She started to hug him but Bradin just smiled and moved away. "Hey, Aunt Ava... glad you're home."

Ava stopped short. "Hey, Sweetie..." She hadn't expected Bradin's reaction to her coming home to be quite so cold. He seemed happy enough. "Everything alright?"

Bradin nodded. "Yeah. Everything's great. Well, unless I think about school going back in..." he chuckled. "Really, I'm fine."

Ava nodded, though not convinced he was really as fine as he was making it sound. "Okay. I've missed you, Sweetie."

"Missed you too." Bradin smiled slightly. "If you don't mind, I'm gonna see if Teresa can come over."

"Of course not! Susannah and I have actually got a couple of things for her from New York!" Ava smiled.

"Okay?"

"I got her a skirt that I just _knew_ she'd love and I think Susannah picked up a handbag she'd heard Teresa mention having seen in _Teen Vogue_."

"Wow. Okay.' Bradin laughed and pulled out his cell phone, calling his fiancée.

--

"BRAE!! Ahh, guess what!?" Teresa Coleman shouted after picking up her phone.

"Um... you'll be able to come see me for once this month?" Bradin tried to make it sound like a joke but he was 75 serious.

"Well, I could tonight but that's it cause I've got school shopping Monday and Tuesday then Beth and I are going to LA with her parents! That's what my news was!! Her dad's got work to do there but her mom, Beth and me will totally get to stay in this 5 star Hotel, see a Chris Brown show _and_ we'll be there a week so we'll get to see the sights! It's gonna be so great!!"

Bradin frowned. "A week? You mean till Labor Day?"

"Yeah, we're coming back that morning so we'll still be able to have a Bar-B-Q, like we always do, and get to sleep early and all for the first day of school on the 2nd. Oh, my gosh, I wish you could come!!" Teresa exclaimed wistfully.

Bradin didn't say anything. She'd be gone the 1st. As in, the 1st of September. As in the day after the 31st. As in, she'd miss his birthday.

"Bradin?" Teresa suddenly sounded concerned. "Are you there?"

"Uh, yeah, yeah. You said you could come over tonight?"

"Yep!" She was oblivious to what was going on in Bradin's mind. "And of course, tomorrow for Nikki's birthday!" she added.

"Then come. My whole family's here and we're grilling... and I've really missed you." He added on impulse, without thinking about it.

Teresa sounded somewhat apologetic as she said, "I'm sorry, Brae... I know we haven't seen each other much the past month... And I know it's probably my fault. But I'll be right over, okay?"

"Okay."

"Good, see you in a minute! Love you!" Teresa shut her phone after Bradin replied that he loved her too. She fixed her hair, grabbed her purse, rushed downstairs and breezed into the kitchen. "I'm going to Bradin's, Mama. He invited me to eat with them if that's okay?"

"Sure, Honey, have fun!" Karen smiled at her daughter and kissed her forehead. "Rachel and I might go shopping for an outfit for me to wear to my job interview Wednesday but we should be back before you are."

"Alright, I've got my cell, I'll be fine!" Teresa hugged her mother and skipped out of the house yelling over her shoulder, "I can't wait for Wednesday!! And not cause of your job interview!" she laughed, leaving her mother laughing after her.

--

"Brae!!" Teresa cried happily, hurrying up the porch steps and into her fiancé's arms. He had been waiting for her on the front porch in the growing twilight.

"Hey, Baby..." he held her close and buried his head deeply in her hair. "Mm... I've missed you." He murmured, cupping her chin, raising her head to his and gazing into her eyes. Teresa blushed and smiled. "I've missed you too."

Bradin pressed his lips gently to hers and pulled her close to his body. After several seconds Teresa pulled out of the kiss. "You okay?" she asked, for some reason sensing something was bothering him.

Bradin was surprised by the question. "Mm hmm." He nodded and kissed her deeply again, this time running his hands down her sides and resting them on her hips.

"I'm serious, Brae. What's wrong?" Teresa asked, pulling out of the kiss too soon again.

"God, who said anything was wrong!?" Bradin exclaimed, pushing Teresa away from him.

"I can just feel it. You're acting weird."

"I hug you, tell you I've missed you then kiss you and that's acting weird!?" Bradin asked angrily, turning his back on his fiancée and shoving his hands in his pockets.

"No, but... I mean, oh, come on, Bradin! There must be something wrong or you wouldn't have reacted this way." Teresa said, reaching out and taking hold of his right arm. He shook her hand off.

"Maybe I'm sick of everybody always asking me that!!" Bradin yelled, whirling around to face Teresa. "Why does everybody always ask me that!?"

"Maybe it's because they _love _you. Why are you so defensive about it!?" Teresa said irritably

"I'm not being defensive. I just don't know why people are always asking me that! Everybody's got something 'wrong' with them and yet, nobody goes around asking them what it is all the time! Why are you guys always knowing when there's something wrong with me when I _don't_ want you to but when I _do_, you don't even fucking see it!?" Bradin looked away, taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry if that happens, Brae... I always try to pay attention to how you're feeling-"

"Like hell you do." Bradin cut her off.

"What?"

"You only see it when somebody else is the problem. You didn't even notice how I sounded on the phone..." He looked at Teresa. She seemed confused. "It's _you_. What's wrong with me right now, you wanted to know?"

Teresa nodded, slightly nervous seeming.

"You are."

"I'm what's wrong with you?" Teresa asked.

"Yeah. But don't worry about it. It really doesn't matter cause even if you were paying attention there's nothing you could do about the way you are. I think Bethany was right when she said you're a tease." Bradin really couldn't believe he'd just said that.

"What the hell are you talking about-"

"_There_ you are!!" Ava Gregory's voice sounded from behind Bradin, cutting off Teresa's angry sentence. She was standing in the front door. She flipped on the porch light, completely oblivious to the fight the teens were having, and smiled at Teresa. "Hey there, Sweetheart!"

"Hi, Ava..." Teresa faked a smile.

"Bradin, Jay's looking for you. He wants to ask you something, I think." Ava said to her nephew. He nodded stiffly and went in the house mumbling to Teresa, "Come in."

Ava looked puzzled but still didn't seem to catch on that they were fighting. "Oh, Teresa, Susannah and I have something for you!" she exclaimed. "Come inside!"

"Okay." This time Teresa's smiled was genuine, seeing how excited Ava looked.

--

About an hour passed before Teresa saw Bradin again. And when she did he didn't look happy, but he was trying to fake it for everyone else... which was working rather well surprisingly.

She was sitting at a table with Nikki and a girl around their age named Aubrey who she'd just met and discovered was Johnny's niece and was staying at the combined Gregory household for a while.

Nikki seemed entirely too stiff tonight... what was going on with the Westerly kids anyway? Teresa bit her thumbnail and watched as Ava called Bradin over to her, said something to him, smiled and yelled "Thank you!" as Bradin walked up to the grill to, apparently, get some food for his aunt. Johnny, who was standing there getting his own food, seemed to give Bradin a death glare and Bradin gave one right back. Not being too far away from the grill, Teresa was able to make out Johnny saying, "Stay away from her." Bradin opened his mouth to say something but shut it again as Jay jumped up from where he was sitting on the porch steps and rushed over to Bradin, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him aside. He said some things earnestly to him and Bradin nodded, still looking pissed. Bradin handed Jay the plate he'd made for his aunt and walked off towards the house, his hands shoved deeply in his pockets.

"Nikki..." Teresa started cautiously.

"Hmm?" Nikki seemed to have been lost to reality up until that moment.

"What's up with your brother and Johnny?"

Nikki's eyes got slightly wide and she shook her head ever so slightly. Teresa frowned. Nikki darted her eyes toward Aubrey and then smiled saying, "Nothing."

Teresa got the hint that Nikki didn't want to talk about it in front of Aubrey so she just smiled back and said, "So did you see that dress Lauren was wearing on the cover of _Teen Vogue_ this issue??"

"Oh, my gosh, it's gorgeous! Oh, do you want to see the dress Susannah grabbed for me while they were in New York? It's adorable and it was totally in _Teen Vogue _a couple of issues back!"

"Sure! She got me a handbag from that same issue, I think. Was that the magazine we were all looking at that day I came over when Bradin wasn't here?"

"Yeah! Come on, you've gotta see it!" Nikki cried.

The two got up and Aubrey followed, thinking she was invited too. Nikki couldn't very well tell her to go away so she just didn't say anything to her.

Once the threesome reached Nikki's room, Aubrey had started a conversation about hats. She had a good knowledge of fashion, Nikki realized. They might have even been good friends... if Aubrey hadn't caused all this trouble for her brother!

"And honestly I think sun hats are awesome! It makes me feel so New England or something!" Aubrey was laughing.

"Sun hats _are _awesome!" Nikki agreed. She did agree but she was only trying not to be rude by ignoring Aubrey too much.

"Eww.. I hate them!" Teresa giggled.

"That's cause you're like, not completely American!" Nikki laughed. "Aren't you part something else? I mean, your skin is so totally gorgeous and deep!" Nikki gushed, giggling herself.

"Yeah, I'm part Spanish. About 25 percent actually. My dad was 50/50 Spanish and English so that's where I got it from."

"Cool! Did he live in Spain?"

Teresa nodded. "Until he was 10. Then his family moved to England which is where his mother was originally from. He didn't live over here till he was 19. In fact, the only way he and my mom met was through college. My dad went to Yale and my mom happened to be taking some summer course thing there. It's kind of a cool story, actually."

"Tell me!!" Nikki exclaimed, sitting down on her bed. Aubrey followed suit and Teresa sat on Nikki's desk chair.

"Okay, so my mom, being completely American, meaning, a mixture of too many things to figure out, - Teresa laughed - had always said she was going to marry an Englishman just because she loved their accents. So when she met my dad and he had this combo English/Spanish accent, she fell in love with it! But my dad had a girlfriend named Tilly and Tilly wasn't happy that my mom 'had eyes' for my dad so she tried everything she could to keep them from becoming friends until she finally realized it wasn't going to work."

Nikki giggled. "Poor Tilly."

Teresa giggled back, "Yeah, sorta..." she rolled her eyes, "But if you ever saw a picture of the girl, trust me, she had no trouble finding somebody else!"

Nikki raised an eyebrow.

"She was drop dead gorgeous. Not that my mom isn't drop dead, get back up and drop dead _again_ gorgeous or anything!" Teresa winked making both younger teens laugh. "But anyway, Tilly kinda gave it up and my dad broke up with her like, a day later. I guess she expected it cause she was cool about it and her and my mom were even friends after that!"

"Wow."

"Yeah. By the way, if you're wondering about her, she lives in Seattle with her husband and two kids and she and my mom still talk often!"

"Awe..." Nikki cooed. "What about your mom and dad, go on with that!"

"Right. So my dad breaks up with Tilly and a week later asks my mom out. From there, there's not much to tell. They dated all through college with only one 'break up' which only lasted two weeks. My dad was living at the University and my mom lived in Connecticut and was going to community college so it was no trouble for them to stay together, like, no long distance or anything!" Teresa laughed. "Right out of college they got married and moved down to South Carolina so my dad could take this job at a construction company which he later became head of." Teresa shrugged. "Somewhere along the way, they 'got it on' and along came me!" she laughed out loud as Nikki rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's their story... My dad always said one day he was gonna take me to Spain and England to meet my family and to let me see 'my countries,' as he put it." Here, the 16-year-old looked sad. "But I guess he didn't get a chance."

"What happened to your dad?" Aubrey asked, not realizing he wasn't still around.

"He died in a car accident about a two years ago."

"Oh! I'm so sorry." Aubrey genuinely was sorry. Her dad had walked out on her and her mother was possibly dying...

"Thanks." Teresa sniffled and was grateful that Nikki started talking again.

"Oh, my gosh!" she laughed. "You didn't even see the dress yet!"

"Oh, _yeah_!!" Teresa laughed back and jumped up to see the dress Nikki was pulled out of her closet.

--

Another hour passed and Teresa realized it was still only 8:30pm and the family "gathering" was showing no signs of letting up. She loved the Gregory household's family things. They were always fun... but inevitably, they usually ended in a fight. She hoped tonight wouldn't be that way but it somehow felt tense in the air so she figured it would.

She was sitting in the sand with Nikki and Aubrey listening to them argue over who was hotter; Chase Crawford or Orlando Bloom. So far, Orlando was winning, but Aubrey was a good debater and Chase had some points himself.

Teresa was suddenly aware that someone was standing over her. She looked up to see Bradin standing there. "You busy?" he asked, giving Aubrey a funny look that Teresa couldn't decipher.

"Um.. no, I guess not."

"Bradin!" a male's voice called out. Teresa looked up and saw Johnny walking, er, storming over to their group.

Bradin turned his head in the direction of the voice and, once he saw who it was, looked back down at Teresa.

"Get the hell away from her." Johnny ordered. Teresa looked to Nikki only to find that she had stood up. She followed suit.

"I'm not fucking touching your fucking niece, Johnny. I came to get my fiancée, you can't tell me to get away from _her_!"

"After what you did to Aubrey, I can't take any chances! You should have asked somebody to get Teresa for you. Though I don't understand why she's still with you." Johnny growled.

Bradin looked appalled. "Ask somebody to get her for me?"

"Yes."

Bradin laughed at him. "That's stupid! I fucking live here too! Just because your niece is a lying little bitch doesn't mean I should have to pay for it."

"What did you just call Aubrey!?" Johnny raged. Everyone else seemed to have gone silent and was now staring in their direction. Unfortunately, Jay happened to be in the house at the moment.

"I called her a lying bitch." Bradin was sick of this! He hadn't done anything wrong with Aubrey. He hadn't _touched _her!! He had tried to get her to leave his room before somebody saw and all this happened. But no, she wouldn't do that! Then she wouldn't even take her share of the trouble and lied and said Bradin all but attacked her.

Johnny clenched his hands into fists and squinted his eyes at Bradin. Nikki stepped closer to the two. "Johnny... Bradin, stop." She warned looking from one to the other. "This isn't gonna get anybody anywhere!"

"Move, Nikki. Your brother has a problem." Johnny growled in that same un-Johnny-like voice he had used the first time he'd attacked Bradin.

"Johnny, come on..."

"Nicole..." Johnny warned her to back off again.

"Stop..." Nikki had tears in her eyes. "Leave Bradin alone."

"Nik, move." Bradin said, obviously worried his sister was about to get hurt.

At this point, Aubrey had stood up and was saying to Johnny. "Uncle Johnny, it's okay. Bradin's not doing anything to me..."

"Not now, Aubrey."

"Uncle Johnny..."

Teresa wondered why no one else came over to them and just stood there watching and murmuring. She also wondered what this was all about!

"Oh, _now _you tell the truth." Bradin spat at Aubrey.

"I'm trying to save your neck. You're the one that kissed me earlier!" Aubrey spat right back. _Damn, why did she say that!?_ "I mean..." But it was too late, this seemed to push Johnny over the edge.

"You kissed her _again_!?" Johnny cried out angrily, pushing Nikki out of his way and going to hit Bradin.

Nikki had no time to get out of the way and the next thing she knew she had landed in the sand, her head hitting something hard, throbbing and then she thought all the lights had gone out... or was she... she...

"Nikki!!" Teresa exclaimed, kneeling at the girl's side.

Johnny had only gotten one punch in on Bradin when Bradin realized something was wrong with Nikki. Scarily angry, he shoved Johnny backwards a good two feet and knelt beside Teresa, who was trying to revive Nikki.

"What's wrong with her?" he asked earnestly.

Teresa pointed to a semi large rock laying, halfway covered, in the sand. "I think she hit her head on that. What the hell is going on, Bradin!?"

Before Bradin could speak, Nikki's eyes fluttered open and she groaned. Bradin and Teresa helped her stand up and Bradin told them to head towards Teresa's house.

By this time, Ava had reached the scene looking really worried. "What's going on, Johnny??" she knew nothing of the Aubrey drama. Johnny said nothing. He was standing nearby, his anger having gone back down with concern that Nikki had gotten badly hurt. She turned to Bradin. "Bradin??"

Bradin ignored her and stepped close to Johnny so that only a few inches separated them. "Don't you _ever __**dare**_touch my sister." He warned in that same scary-angry-voice then called Derrick over to him and hurried off to catch up with Teresa and Nikki.

"Johnny, you want to tell me what's going on?" Ava asked, folding her arms across her chest.

Susannah ushered Fran inside the house and passed Jay and Erica coming out. "What'd we miss?" Jay asked, realizing something wasn't right.

"I don't know. Go talk to Ava and Johnny." Susannah said, trying to make it all seem nonchalant for Fran's sake. "Come on, Sweetie. Let's get some ice cream!" she said sweetly to the little girl who bobbed her head vigorously. "Okay!"

"What's going on?" Jay asked, walking up to Ava.

"I don't know. Johnny won't say anything."

Jay took a deep breath. "I will."

Ava looked at him expectantly.

"Hold on." Jay pulled Erica aside and whispered, "Make sure the kids are alright, huh? Take them to your place maybe?"

Erica nodded and walked off in the direction Bradin, Nikki, Derrick and Teresa had gone. They were still visible a good ways down the beach. She figured they were headed for Teresa's.

Jay walked back up to Ava and Johnny. "Johnny, you've gotta stop."

"But he kissed her _again_ tonight." Johnny argued.

"I don't think so." Jay said firmly.

"What is going _on_!?" Ava exclaimed, clearly frustrated at how little she knew about the situation.

Aubrey was slowly making her way towards the house when Jay called out. "Come here, Aubrey."

Aubrey cringed. "Yeah?" she asked sounding guilty, coming back up the three adults.

"Would you like to tell us what _really_ happened that night in Bradin's room? _And_ I happen to know for a fact that Bradin didn't kiss you tonight. I've had my eye on him all the way up until 30 minutes ago and he was talking to Erica all that time until you saw him, Johnny." Jay said, now turning to Johnny.

Johnny looked somewhat embarrassed at his recent sudden flares of nearly uncontrollable anger.

"Um... well, that night um..." Aubrey stammered.

"Yes?" Jay prompted.

"I climbed up to his balcony and knocked on his door till he opened it... then um... I uh..." Aubrey was turning redder with every word. She didn't like the piercing look Johnny was giving her and she didn't want to admit that she had been lying and that Bradin _was _the one telling the truth. Everybody thought she was so innocent.

"Go on, Aubrey." Jay prompted once more.

"I guess I took him by surprise cause he seemed a little freaked out... then I uh..." Aubrey looked at the sand and wrung her hands together. What if Johnny told her mother??

"Finish, Aubrey." Jay prompted yet _again_.

"I Kissed him." Aubrey finally admitted, though very quietly.

"What!?" Johnny exclaimed. He made Aubrey look at him. "You mean everything he said was true? He didn't kiss you back, he told you to get out?"

Aubrey nodded. She hoped _so_ bad that Bradin hadn't mentioned her having said she "wanted him."

"Aubrey... Why did you do that?"

"I uh... I guess cause I like him... Or... or something..." No way was she saying why she'd really done any of that. Not to her uncle anyway!

"He's engaged, Sweetheart." Now Ava spoke up, being gentle even as she did.

"I know... I just... I don't know..." Aubrey dropped her gaze.

Johnny frowned. "I think I owe Bradin a huge apology..."

"Yeah, you do." Jay said. "Erica went after them."

Johnny nodded. "Aubrey," he turned his attention back to his niece. "did you know he was engaged _before_ you did that?"

Aubrey nodded shamefully.

"Aubrey..." Johnny shook his head.

"I'm really sorry!" Aubrey said, looking up, a few tears in her eyes. Yes, they were actually genuine tears this time. "I didn't even mean to get him in so much trouble. I was just afraid to tell you that I was the one who started it... well, the only one who did _anything_, actually, not just started it..." Aubrey went so far as to admit.

"We know you're sorry... and we believe that you didn't mean to get him in trouble, but why did you even do it, Honey?" Ava spoke again.

"Um... I don't know... I've been completely lonely since everything with my mom and I guess.. I don't really know. My boyfriend broke up with me when he found out I wasn't going to be home for so long and Mom told me that meant he didn't really love me but I guess I was in rebound or something stupid... I don't know. I'm really, really, _really_ sorry and I'd like to apologize to Bradin if he'll let me." Aubrey said all of this rushed, embarrassed by the whole thing.

"Could I talk to you, Sweetie?" Ava asked gently.

Aubrey nodded, another tear escaping her eye.

Ava nodded at Johnny and Jay to indicate they should go away for a little while. They got the hint and went inside the house.

"Sit down." Ava said, sitting down herself at the picnic table that sat in their back yard.

Aubrey sat across from her. "I'm really sorry, Ms. Gregory..."

"I know, Sweetheart." Ava smiled. "Please call me Ava."

Aubrey smiled slightly. "Okay."

"You miss your boyfriend?"

"Yeah... I guess, but he's a jerk for breaking up with me anyway... right?" Aubrey was obviously confused about the whole situation with her ex-boyfriend.

"Yes, he's a jerk." Ava half smiled. "Why did he say he broke up with you? Cause I once had a boyfriend who told me that if I wouldn't sleep with him that I didn't love him."

Aubrey's eyes went wide. "Oh, my God, that's what he told me!!"

Ava had already guessed that was the situation and figured Aubrey only needed prompting. She really hated boys like that. "That's not true, you know? You don't have to give that to _any _boy who says that to you. That's something special reserved for you and the person you love so much that you want to spend the rest of your life with him."

Aubrey's eyes watered. "He told me that if I was going to be gone for so long, I was going to have to prove to him that I loved him. And when I asked him how he said I should sleep with him... I wouldn't and he said I didn't love him and he couldn't sit around waiting for a girl who didn't even love him to come back to him."

"He's a _real_ jerk, Aubrey, because none of that is true. He didn't love you is what was actually going on."

"Well, I told him that and he was like, 'Yes, I do. And _I_ would prove it to you.' And I started crying and stuff and he told me no guy was going to want me if I wouldn't do that with them... I guess I let myself listen to him to some point..." Aubrey was crying now.

"What do you mean, Sweetie?"

"Um... I told Bradin I wanted him... that's what really freaked him out. That's when he started telling me to get the hell out of his room and that he couldn't be with me and he was engaged anyway. I just didn't listen and kept going after him... It was totally stupid and it totally won't _ever_ happen again."

Ava had to keep from smiling, remembering her own escapades as a younger teenager. "Well... um..." She did smiled. "Oh, Aubrey! If you only knew how close that is to a situation I got myself into when I was 17..."

"What'd you do?" Aubrey asked. "Unless I'm not supposed to ask that!" she added quickly, realizing Ava was the adult and that you weren't usually supposed to ask adults about things like that.

"No, it's okay. I brought it up." Ava smiled. "I did almost that same thing with one of my brother's friends. He had his friends over and they were going to be staying the whole night. My parents weren't home and my brother got drunk and passed out. He had three friends over and two of them did the same thing, leaving me and Jack alone..." Ava paused, thinking back. "Well, I was old enough to be safe and everything but I got stupid and started getting all over Jack because most of my girlfriends had already lost their virginity and I felt like the oddball out. Fortunately for me, Jack, who was 19, wouldn't let me do anything with him and I was _so _embarrassed the next time I saw him that I tripped and fell down the stairs and got a knot on my head..."

Aubrey couldn't help but laugh at the thought.

Ava laughed too. "I guess my point is that it's not true what your ex-boyfriend said to you. You don't have to do that until you're completely ready and if a guy ever says you don't love him because you won't 'give him more' then you _know_ **he **doesn't love you."

Aubrey smiled. "I guess you're right... I also guess that part of the reason I kept trying to get Bradin in trouble was because I was embarrassed like you were..."

Ava nodded knowingly.

"Um... Ava?"

"Yes?"

"Could you maybe... not tell anyone what else I said to Bradin?"

"You mean, just let them go on thinking you were just kissing him?" Ava asked with slight amusement in her voice.

Aubrey nodded, flushing red.

"It'll be our little secret..." Ava whispered, leaning closer to Aubrey, making the teen smile. "Well, assuming _Bradin _doesn't tell anybody." Ava added. Aubrey winced and Ava laughed. "Don't worry, I'm pretty sure he won't."

Aubrey smiled then frowned. "So I guess I really need to apologize to him?" she asked, dreading the idea.

"Yes, you really do."

Aubrey took a deep breath. "I didn't mean for him to get _hurt_ either. I didn't realize how much Uncle Johnny looks out for me..."

"Yeah... Johnny can be extremely passionate about things when he wants to be..."

"Um... I have a question about Bradin actually."

"Oh, what's that?" Ava asked.

"Well, _two _actually." Aubrey corrected herself. "Where are his parents?"

Ava frowned. "Nobody told you?"

"Told me what?"

"I guess not then." Ava said. "They died in a flood about a year and a half ago, Honey."

"Oh!" Aubrey didn't know this.

"What was your other question?" Ava asked, not wanting to dwell on the death of her sister.

"Um, when I was kissing him and all, he didn't have a shirt on and I noticed a nasty scar on his right side... what happened to him?" Aubrey asked, genuinely curious.

"I'm afraid you'll have to ask Bradin that yourself..." Ava said softly. "I'm not allowed to talk about it so I always defer the question to him."

"Oh, is it like, personal or something?" Aubrey asked, not thinking it might have been before she asked.

"Yes. I also wouldn't expect him to tell you..." Ava chuckled but sobered quickly. "He really doesn't talk about it. But you can certainly ask him if you want to."

"Oh, I understand. It was just a pretty nasty scar... I just wondered."

"No, it's okay. That's perfectly logical. I'm just not allowed to talk about it. None of us are, actually." Ava said quietly.

Aubrey nodded. "So um... is Bradin coming back home tonight?"

Ava shrugged. "I hope so. You want to get it over with, don't you?" she asked with a smile.

Aubrey nodded. "Yeah... And I think I should apologize to Nikki too..."

"Yes, and there's someone else."

"His fiancée, Teresa?" Aubrey asked, crunching her face up.

Ava nodded, feeling almost sorry for Aubrey. "Yes, Teresa."

"I guess I knew that..." she sighed. "Um... thank you for you know, talking to me... not judging me, not being mad and everything." Aubrey said shyly.

"You're welcome, Sweetheart. Come to me anytime, okay?" Ava said with a smile.

"Okay." Aubrey smiled right back and Ava was aware that she really was a beautiful girl with her dirty blonde hair, brown eyes and dimples.

"Let's go inside and I'll see if I can find Bradin, okay?"

Aubrey nodded and followed Ava into the house.

--

"Are the kids coming back?" Ava asked, entering the living room by way of the kitchen, Aubrey at her heels.

"Erica's bringing Nikki and Derrick back now." Jay answered her.

"What about Bradin?"

"He and Teresa are having a fight, Erica said..."

"Uh oh... Did she say about what?"

"Um... yeah, but I don't think I should repeat it." Jay said, respecting Bradin and Teresa's privacy.

Ava nodded. "Okay."

"Um... I'd like to apologize to everybody here." Aubrey spoke up, standing beside Ava. "I know what I did was wrong and I promise nothing like that will happen again and I hope you guys can forgive me."

Everyone smiled. "I forgive you." Jay stated.

"Same here." Susannah smiled. She really didn't know what Aubrey had done, but she figured Ava would tell her later and that it wouldn't be anything she couldn't forgive.

"Thank you." Aubrey smiled then looked to her uncle.

Johnny stood up, came over to her and embraced her in a hug. "Of course I forgive you, Aubrey." He kissed her forehead and said quietly. "You need to tell Bradin you're sorry."

Aubrey nodded. "I know. I plan to as soon as I see him."

"Alright, good." Johnny smiled. "How 'bout we clear up the hurricane damage in the backyard?"

Everybody laughed.

"Oh, we do have to get all that cleaned up if we're surprising Nikki with a party tomorrow!" Ava exclaimed. Everybody jumped up and got on it. Halfway through, Erica showed up with Derrick and Nikki. Derrick and Erica helped clean up but nobody would let Nikki, insisting she should just rest after hitting her head and besides, she was special with this weekend being her birthday weekend!

After everybody had finished cleaning up and gone back inside, Aubrey slipped out the back door and sat down beside Nikki, who was sitting on the steps.

"Um, Nikki?"

"Yeah?" Nikki side glanced at her.

"Can I apologize to you?"

Nikki looked at her. "Yeah, you can."

"I'm really, really sorry for all the trouble I caused you and your brothers... I hope you can forgive me and that maybe we can be friends. I really like you, you're totally cool." Aubrey finished her apology.

Nikki smiled and rolled her eyes, slightly embarrassed. "It's okay. Thanks for apologizing."

"You're welcome." Aubrey smiled back.

"Now... about being friends..." Nikki started with a jokingly evil look in her eyes.

"Uh oh?"

"That's right! If we're gonna be friends, you have to agree that Orlando Bloom is the hotter guy."

Both girls burst into laughter.

* * *

**Dun, dun, dun. So who do you, the girls reading this, think is hotter? Orlando or Chase? I have to go with... TIE! Lol Review please, thank you, love you!!**

_Xoxo__,  
Anna Christie 33  
_


	23. 22: Never Letting Go

**I do not own Summerland. Yada, yada.**

**Okay, so I'm seriously ****pissed off ****right now, mostly because I have dial up, no, entirely because I have dial up. See, I was, oh, who cares. Just screw it.**

**I'm sooooooooo sorry for the long wait on the update. I just didn't feel like writing and I only got two reviews and, though I love you guys, it just wasn't enough to motivate me to write faster. That's kind of stupid of me, but I mean, I won't give it UP so long as I have at least **_**one**_** reader, but it will generally take a lot longer for me to update. So I'm really, really sorry about that.**

**angel-prncess-18**, thanks for the review. Yeah, another fight. They're about done now. Haha No, she's not... at least not entirely! :P Teresa/Bradin scene here now. Hope you like it. I don't think she'll forget... but I think she'll wish she had. -room choruses "ohhhh"- haha Enjoy!

**Ash Riley**, thanks. I guess living a tad dysfunctionally (is that even a word?) yourself is good practice. Haha fights, though they're 99 of the time only verbal, blow up in my family ALL the time. Haha so yeah. Anyway, yeah, she went a little far, or I did writing it, teehee, but I didn't want her to be an enemy so I had to have her have some reason for doing it in the end. And no, not really. His sister's just really close to dying. And it's hard on him. Johnny will calm down, I'm pretty sure, don't worry. And about the PM, it's okay, I know about being busy! Just so long as you reply _sometime_, I'm good! Haha –faint, collapse, die- Ahem, okay, not that bad, but seriously, google image "Chase Crawford" and then you can pick! He's sexyyy, girl! lol Anyway, here's the next chapter, I hope you like it!

**Again, you two, I am SO, extremely sorry for the incredibly ridiculously long wait. Here's your update, next one should definitely come quicker.**

**Chapter XXII**

**_Never Letting Go_**

"I didn't kiss her! She kissed me. You don't even know what's going on." Bradin argued with his fiancée. Erica had just left to go back to Bradin's house with his siblings and he and Teresa had been fighting for the past 10 minutes, even when Erica, Nikki and Derrick were still there. It had all started on the porch earlier in the evening, Bradin knew. But he had hoped to talk to her rationally and apologize for what he'd said about Bethany having been right. Unfortunately that's when the whole Johnny-Aubrey drama blew up again.

"Arg!!" Teresa groaned. "Bradin, I don't wanna do this. _I don't want to do this_!!" she yelled, completely frustrated at how much it seemed they were fighting lately... whatever lately even was, she didn't know. They hadn't seen hardly anything of each other since Bethany got there... Yes, Teresa realized it was her fault but couldn't Bradin understand just how damn long it'd been since she'd seen Bethany!? Then again, couldn't she make time for him? Ugh!

"Then don't. Just trust me for once in this relationship! For God's sake, Teresa, do you know how much trust I've given you with everything you've done!?" Bradin yelled, clearly just as frustrated as she was.

"You sound like you _don't_ trust me." Teresa commented quietly, suddenly realizing that's really what he sounded like since he kept bringing it up.

"Maybe I don't..." Bradin agreed with her. Teresa winced.

Bradin sat down in the sand. Teresa sat beside him.

"What are we doing?" he asked flatly.

"Fighting, I think..." Teresa answered, her voice emotionless as well.

"Why?"

"I don't know."

"Then why don't we stop?"

"Why don't we?"

Bradin looked at her. They had both been looking out into the waves. Teresa looked at him and dropped her eyes. "You don't trust me, do you?"

Bradin shook his head. "No."

Teresa's shoulders sank. "You don't trust me, I don't trust you, but at least you have a reason, so what are we even doing?"

Bradin took a deep breath and looked back out at the ocean. "Are we done?"

"I don't know... A relationship has to be built on trust as much as, if not more, anything else... but maybe we could get it back like it was. We trusted each other when we first started out!" Teresa exclaimed. "What happened!?"

"Not to be blunt but you cheated on me." Bradin said, quite bluntly despite what he said.

Teresa winced. "Alright. I know that. I don't know what to do about it either. I cheated on you and I'm sorry... can't you let it go!?"

"I did! I let it go. I'm just telling you what happened to the trust we had when we first got together... I'm only saying that's what happened to it, damn!" Bradin cried out angrily.

Teresa moaned. "I know! I'm sorry... I don't know what's wrong with me."

"Maybe we should just give it a rest..."

"Maybe..." Teresa glanced down at her hands. The diamond on her left ring finger glimmered in the moonlight. A tear fell off her cheek and landed on her left hand, glimmering right along with her ring. She didn't know quite how or why but within the next instant, she found herself burying her face in Bradin's chest, crying her eyes out, Bradin holding her tightly to himself, whispering in her ear, telling her it was all okay.

After a few minutes of Teresa crying, Bradin lifted her face to his and kissed her forehead. "We can't let it go..." he meant it to be a statement but it almost came out like a question. A question which Teresa quickly turned into the statement it was meant to be.

"We can't." She said, wiping away tears from her cheeks and eyes.

"I love you, Reese... I don't want to lose you."

"I don't want to lose you either. I love you. I need you." Teresa murmured, halfway closing her eyes.

Bradin kissed her and laid her on her back, leaning over her, still kissing her deeply.

Teresa moaned and her hands found the back of his head.

Bradin reluctantly pulled away from her. "Not here..." he whispered. It was only 9:30pm and there were several people on the beach, though not very near them, but still.

Teresa nodded. "Where can we go?" she asked in a low voice.

"Not my house."

"Not mine either..."

"Maybe we can't go anywhere..." Bradin chuckled softly.

"We could go back to square one." Teresa smiled wickedly.

"Spanish Cove?"

She nodded. Bradin stood up and pulled her to her feet and into his side. "I'm afraid my aunt's gonna freak out if I don't come home tonight... after everything earlier."

"Yeah, and I _know_ my mom would freak cause she thought I was gonna be at your house and she'll call and find out I'm not..."

"Then they'll be worried..."

They looked at each other and their lips met. After a minute Teresa pulled away, murmuring, "We can't..."

"I know..." Bradin murmured back, but pulled her back in for another kiss.

They were trying to talk each other out of something neither one of them wanted to stop and it wasn't working the greatest.

"Brae..."

Bradin pulled away from her. "I'll walk you home."

"Okay." Teresa smiled and leaned into his side as he put one arm around her waist and took her right hand with his left.

They walked in silence, both of them in thought, the whole way back. They would've been very near both of their houses except they had wound up walking aimlessly way past Teresa's house while they were fighting before they had sat down.

After finally reaching Teresa's house, Bradin left her at the door, kissing her goodnight quickly on the lips and leaving before he wanted more.

Reaching his own house he tried the front door to find that it was unlocked. Everybody must still be up. He glanced at his phone. Well why wouldn't they be, it was only quarter to ten.

"Bradin!" Ava exclaimed as he entered the living room. "We're playing charades, do you want to play?" she asked hopefully.

Bradin smiled slightly. "Sure." He laughed.

"Good! Only first, I think Aubrey wants to tell you something."

"Oh?" Bradin raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah, she's out on the back porch with Nikki." Ava said. "I think Johnny's out there too."

Bradin glanced at Jay and Susannah.

"It's fine." Jay said, knowing what Bradin was probably thinking.

"Okay..." Bradin mumbled uncertainly and went through the kitchen and out the back door to find his sister, Aubrey and Johnny all laughing about something. Nikki and Aubrey were sitting on the steps and Johnny was standing in the sand below them. They all looked up at him, the two girls turning their heads to do so.

"My aunt said you want to tell me something." Bradin said, addressing Aubrey.

Nikki stood up and walked past Bradin and back into the house, smiling at him as she did.

Bradin leaned against the house and stared down at Aubrey and Johnny. "So?"

"Bradin, I would like to apologize to you. I'm sorry I went crazy and wouldn't listen to your side of the story and I'm sorry I attacked you." Johnny spoke up, adding the last part with a wince, looking at the bruise on Bradin's cheek.

Bradin looked to the side and took a deep breath then let it out and looked back at Johnny. "Thanks for apologizing..."

Johnny came up the steps and gave Bradin a quick hug. "I really am sorry."

Bradin nodded.

"I know you don't like anybody bringing it up but I really shouldn't have done that even if you _had_ been the one lying because – Johnny lowered his voice so that Aubrey couldn't hear him - I know what all you've been through in your life and that wasn't right of me. Can you forgive me?"

Bradin nodded. "Yeah, I forgive you. And hey, Johnny?"

"Yeah?"

"Next time you do that, try not to slam my head into a nail, huh?"

"What!?"

"That nail in the kitchen."

"Why the hell is it so low on the wall? For that matter, why is it even there!?"

"It's there and it's so low for the same reason! You know, that... that... um.. _thing_ used to hang on it when I first moved here, remember?" Bradin laughed.

"Oh, _yeah_..." Johnny's eyes went wide at the memory.

"What was it anyway?"

Johnny shrugged. "_That_ I don't know. But I do know where it came from."

"Where?"

"You're not gonna like it." Johnny laughed.

"Huh?"

"If I'm right, and I'm 95 sure I am, your mother sent it to Ava a couple of years before the accident." Johnny said and laughed at the look on Bradin's face.

"My mother?" He asked, unbelievingly.

"If I'm right. I'll ask Ava, she'll remember." With that Johnny went inside the house to find Bradin's aunt, leaving Aubrey alone with Bradin to apologize.

"Um... Bradin." Aubrey started quietly.

Bradin looked at her. "Yeah?"

Aubrey stood up and walked up to him till they were about 2 feet apart. "I'm extremely sorry for all the trouble I caused you. I'm sorry I lied and said you kissed me when really it was me and I'm sorry I ever came on to you at all. I know it wasn't right. I knew you were engaged, it was way wrong of me and I'm really, really sorry. Would you forgive me?"

Bradin smiled softly. "Yeah. I'll forgive you. I forgive you."

Aubrey smiled. "Thank you! And uh... could we just not mention everything I said that night? Cause none of it was really true anyway..."

"You mean the whole 'I want you' bit?" Bradin asked.

Aubrey cringed. "Yeah... that."

Bradin laughed. "Yeah, I think I can do that."

"Thanks. And um, I want to apologize to Teresa too, next time I see her, if that's okay?" Aubrey said.

"That would be nice. She'll be over tomorrow morning to insist that Nikki come with her and Bethany and Amber to see this incredible shoe sale at the mall. Only, there is no shoe sale!" Bradin laughed.

"Huh?" Aubrey asked, confused.

"She's taking her away so we can get her this big surprise party ready. Wanna help?"

"I'd love to! I'll apologize to Teresa when she comes, okay?"

"That would be great. Now, my aunt is playing charades and you have _got_ to see it for yourself." Bradin grinned mischievously.

Aubrey laughed. "Okay then..."

"Yeah, it's bad." Bradin started to go inside but stopped and turned back around, realizing Aubrey wasn't following him. "What?"

"Huh? Oh, um... I don't know... Your aunt told me what happened to your parents..."

"Oh... um, okay?" Bradin wasn't sure what that mattered for.

"I'm so sorry." Aubrey said quickly. "That's horrible."

Bradin nodded. "It is. Are you alright?" he asked, sensing something was upsetting the teenage girl.

"My mom's sick... and I guess just... I don't know... every time I hear about somebody's parents dying I wonder about my mom... my dad already walked out on us."

Bradin, deciding he should just let her think he hadn't that, said, "I'm sorry. But I knew your mom was sick, it's Leukemia, isn't it?"

Aubrey nodded. "Yeah, and she's only gotten worse... I'm scared she's not gonna make it. And today I heard about two people's parents dying... and it's just really bothering me."

"Mine and...?"

"Your fiancée's." Aubrey said quietly. "Well her dad."

Bradin nodded. "Yeah... and her brother."

"She didn't mention having a brother."

"Oh... Well she did... I never met either of them but from what she's told me, they were both great."

"Her dad sounded really great. I wish my dad was great... what was your dad like?" Aubrey asked.

"He was... well, he was my dad." Bradin slightly laughed. "He loved us, me and my brother and sister. He was a little on the stern side but he did love us and we loved him. And he was good to my mom... so I guess he was great too, whether he did anything great or not."

"What did he do?"

"Farmed." Bradin laughed.

"No, way, you're a country boy!?" Aubrey exclaimed, very surprised.

"Hogarth County, Kansas." Bradin chuckled, "And believe me, it doesn't get much more 'country' then that."

"_No_ way." Aubrey laughed. "I so wouldn't have ever guessed you could be from _Kansas_!!"

"Yep... but sometimes I feel like California was where I should have been born."

"It's nice out here. I like it. We're originally from Chicago but moved to San Francisco when I was about 12 cause my mom has a brother there who owns his own business and was willing to give my mom a job... she was having to work double shifts 7 days a week back in Chicago after Dad left us... so that was good. But sometimes I miss the city. And we lived right smack in the middle of the city. Urban life _was _my life." Aubrey laughed.

"Yeah... Sometimes I think I'd like to go back to Kansas but then I change my mind. I don't think I ever wanna go back there really."

"Why? I'd just _love_ to go back to Chicago!" Aubrey exclaimed.

"Too many memories, I guess..." Bradin said quietly.

"Oh, I can understand that, yeah... That leads me to a question I have that I asked your aunt and she said I'd have to ask you."

Bradin knew what was coming but he let her ask it anyway. "What is it?"

"I noticed you have an awful scar on your right side and I just wondered what happened... Unless you don't want to tell me."

"I don't really." Bradin said simply. "But that just makes people more curious until they figure it out some crazy back way, doesn't it?"

"I wouldn't do that." Aubrey insisted.

"Well, let me leave it at; I got beat up one time and it was definitely not a pretty sight, okay?" Bradin said, not revealing anything but not lying either. He remembered that rainy November day almost a year ago and it sent chills down his spine. It wasn't one of his favorite memories... Of course, all things involving Jerry Brown weren't his favorite memories.

Aubrey, unaware what was going on in Bradin's head, nodded. "Alright. Charades?" she smiled.

"Charades!" Bradin agreed, laughing as he held the door open for Aubrey.

--

The next day started out like any other... okay, not quite.

"Shh!! She's coming!" Susannah Rexford hissed, putting a finger to her lips. It was a few minutes before 2:00pm and Teresa, Bethany and Amber were coming back with Nikki from the mall where the faux shoe sale had been. Nikki kind of figured there was a birthday surprise going on somewhere in all of it but she thought she'd let everyone have their fun by not asking many questions and going along with it.

Teresa and her friends had tried to keep Nikki away from home as long as they could, having come for her at about 8:30am, dragging her out of bed, yelling at her to hurry and get dressed and dragging her out the front door at exactly 9:17am at which point everybody else had sprung into action.

Bradin and Jay got the two picnic tables they were using set up in the backyard while Susannah and Ava started cooking homemade pizzas and making up a big salad, Erica was coming later with the cake. She was picking it up on her way over. Cameron showed up about 10 and helped Bradin and Derrick drag stuff around in Nikki's room to make room for the major stereo system that Johnny and Jay had "hooked Nikki up with through connections" having to pay only a very small amount of money for it in comparison with what it should have cost. After they made a place for it, they set it up and tried it out. It sounded wicked and Bradin and Cameron agreed that they were jealous and would probably spend a lot of time in Nikki's room now.

Johnny took Aubrey and Fran up to a clothing store because Aubrey insisted she wanted to buy Nikki a cute outfit and Fran, still being shy and nervous around new people, just did whatever Aubrey and Johnny did so she tagged along.

By 1:30pm everything was ready for Nikki's surprise party. All the gifts were piled high on the living room floor, except the stereo, and everybody was present, ready to jump out of hiding and yell "surprise," juvenile as it was. Everybody meaning, Ava, Jay, Johnny, Susannah, Bradin, Derrick, Aubrey, Fran, Cameron, Amber Starr, Nikki's best friend, Karen Coleman, Rachel Steller, little Lillian and two of Nikki's good friends from school named Lauren and Amanda. And of course, once they got there, Teresa, Bethany and Amber Farine would be present. And, of course, Nikki!

Everybody went silent at Susannah's warning and hid in their respective hiding places. They heard the door click and shut and the four girls' voices talking in the front of the house. Everyone wait silent until they heard Nikki ask, now standing in the living room. "Where's everybody?"

"SURPRISE!!" everyone shouted in near perfect unison. Nikki giggled and blushed. She hated so much attention and yelling surprise was so 5th grade... but she loved her family, so if they did it, she loved it.

"Oh my gosh, Amanda, Lauren?! Hey!!" Nikki exclaimed excitedly. She hadn't seen much of the twin sisters over the summer and she'd missed them.

"NICOLE!!" they chorused and ran forward, hugging her tightly. "We so have to catch up, Tony asked me out!!" Amanda whispered.

"Finally!" Nikki laughed then turned her attention back to everyone else in the room. She smiled widely as everyone picked up their gift from the pile on the floor and "got in line" to give it to her. Susannah came first with a big, birthday decorated, gift bag.

Nikki pulled the tissue paper out of the bag to reveal a beautiful green, V necked dress designed for winter wearing. Nikki pulled it out with an "Ooh!" and then stopped short. The tag on the dress wasn't one she was familiar with. Then her eyes went wide and she rushed Susannah with a huge hug, "YOU GUYS DID IT!?" she yelled, suddenly realizing that the tag was for her aunt's line.

Susannah laughed happily and Ava came forward and joined in the hug. "Yes, we did!!" Ava exclaimed.

_Finally_!!" Susannah added.

"Wait, what?" Johnny asked from across the room.

"Our line got picked up." Ava said simply, like it was the most natural thing in the world, teasing everyone by not acting excited.

"CONGRATULATIONS!!" the room chorused, rather loudly.

"THANK YOU!!" Ava let loose the excitement she'd been hiding since she arrived back home, and over most of the summer for that matter.

"That is _so_ incredibly awesome!!" Nikki smiled widely. "I'm so happy for you guys!!"

"Us too!" the room chorused, only in different such phrases.

"Thank you. _All _of you." Ava smiled and Susannah nodded genuinely. "But it's Nikki's birthday! Go on and open your next present, Sweetie." Ava said, stepping back as Teresa came forward with a small box, obviously containing jewelry. Nikki gasped once she'd pulled the lid back. Inside was a simple silver chain with a beautiful, detailed silver dolphin charm.

"Oooh, thank you so much, Teresa!!" Nikki exclaimed, hugging her brother's fiancée.

"You're welcome! I'm glad you like it." Teresa said with a giddy smile.

"I LOVE it!" Nikki corrected.

After that came Amber Starr, who gave her best friend the whole set to the _Gossip Girl_ books. Nikki squealed and hugged her, having only read two and wanting to read the rest desperately.

Then Bethany and Amber Farine gave Nikki an outfit between them. Bethany gave a cute baby doll top and jeans and Amber gave Nikki the _cutest_ shoes to go with it. "Thanks, guys!!" Nikki laughed, realizing it was something the two girls had picked up while they were at the mall earlier.

"Well, hey, we didn't get a chance to go shopping!" Bethany laughed. "Just be glad we got you something!" she growled, jokingly. Nikki rolled her eyes as the two girls moved away and Erica set a gift bag at Nikki's feet then returned to Jay's chair and sat on his lap. Nikki was sitting on the couch and everybody else was congregated in a circle around her.

Nikki opened the bag to find the latest CD by four artists she adored. Taylor Swift, Jesse McCartney, Carrie Underwood and Vanessa Hudgens. "Awe, Erica!!" she exclaimed. "You totally won't let me give you a hug will you. Erica shook her head. Nikki smiled, "Well, thank you!!"

"You're welcome. I like that smile." Erica said. Nikki smiled "that smile" wider and went to open the gifts from Teresa's mother and aunt. They were both clothes. A cute long sleeved shirt from Mrs. Coleman and an adorable knit sweater from Rachel. "Thank you two!" Nikki said, hugging them before they sat back down.

"Who else?" Ava asked, looking around the room. Derrick jumped up and handed his sister a crudely wrapped box shaped package. Nikki smiled expectantly and tore open the wrapping paper to reveal a white keepsake box in the shape of a heart with a forest green flower bow made of ribbon and fake white pearl strands. "Oh, I love it, D!!" Nikki exclaimed, hugging her brother and insisting he sit down beside her.

She looked back to the room.

"Well... we have you a gift." Jay said, nodding to Johnny.

"Yeah, but you'll have to come upstairs to see it so finish down here first."

"Aunt Ava?"

Ava came up to Nikki and handed her a small box, this too obviously contained jewelry. Nikki lifted back the top and gasped. Inside was an absolutely gorgeous gold chain with red rubies intertwined in it near the middle and in the direct middle was a gold locket. Nikki looked up, she remembered this locket. "Aunt Ava is this...?"

Ava nodded.

"Brae..." Nikki whispered, though loud enough for everyone to hear, almost sounding scared.

Bradin let go of Teresa, who he'd been standing with and came over to his sister, sitting by her side and putting a reassuring arm around her shoulders.

"Brae, I can't..."

Bradin glanced at his aunt and she nodded with her eyes. He knew that inside the locket was a picture of his mother and father on one side and a picture of his great grandparents on the other. This locket had been his great grandmother's and had been passed down to the oldest daughter in the family ever since. He guessed that after his mother died it automatically went to Ava but that she wanted Nikki to have it because, really, she would have inherited it had her mother not passed away. "You can, Nik." He said gently and picked up the necklace. Derrick moved Nikki's hair and Bradin pulled the beautiful old necklace around his sister's neck, clasping it as Derrick let her hair fall back down. Nikki clutched at the locket and tears brimmed in her eyes. Derrick hugged her, not fully understanding the significance of the jewelry but remembering his mother wearing the necklace very, very often and knowing it was special.

"Aunt Ava... Was it... was she wearing it when..."

Ava hugged Nikki, "Yes. She was wearing it."

Nikki let two tears trickle down then she smiled, pulling back from her aunt. "Thank you." She whispered in a breath, awed that one little necklace could mean so much.

Ava nodded. "It's yours. It was always supposed to be yours, Sweetie. She'll be with you forever." She added in a whisper.

Nikki smiled and leaned into her brothers' embrace as they hugged her from either side.

After a few seconds she piped up hopefully, "Anything else!?" She glanced at Bradin, Cameron, Amanda and Lauren who were the only two who hadn't given her anything, besides Johnny and Jay, but they said they had something.

Bradin shook his head.

"You didn't get me anything!?" Nikki gasped, pretending to be terribly offended.

Bradin shook his head again, but he was trying not to smile, indicating there was some secret up his sleeve.

"Oh, no..." she rolled her eyes. "This can't be good."

"Oh, I got you something, Nikki!" Aubrey spoke up, bringing forward a gift bag then sitting back down near her uncle.

Nikki smiled and tore into it. Inside was a gorgeous pair of black jeans and a blue and black, polka dot, baby doll top. Nikki screeched and smiled excitedly at Aubrey. "Thank you so much, I love it!!"

Aubrey smiled. "You're welcome. I'm glad, I wasn't totally sure what you liked... but I went through your closet and got some idea!" she giggled, making Nikki giggle back.

Amanda and Lauren now jumped up and came over to Nikki, sitting at her feet and handing her several things. Nikki tore them all open one by one and exclaimed happily each time. From them she had gotten three more CDs, Gavin Degraw, Ashlee Simpson and Avril Lavigne. Two outfits, one being a long, almost hippy, layered looking skirt and long sleeved knit top and the other a simple pair of dark, blue jeans and an adorable long sleeved shirt and a pair of shoes that would look good with either outfit. And lastly, they gave her two books and a small container of Nikki's favorite perfume, _Vera Wang: Princess_. Nikki hugged them each and told them thank you twice. They giggled and told her she was welcome then returned to their own seats.

Nikki looked over to Cameron. He was grinning. She scrunched up her face at him and giggled saying, slowly, "Cameron...?"

"Nuh uh. You'll get your present later." He said secretively.

"Later?" Nikki asked, wanting to know what it was.

"Tonight." Cameron teased, still not telling her what it might be.

"Ooohhh..." all the girls in the room under 20 chorused jokingly.

"Shut up!" Nikki giggled. "Tonight?" she asked, to clarify.

"About midnight." Cameron added, teasing her even more.

"OOOHHH..." there went that chorusing room again.

Nikki rolled her eyes at them and Teresa laughed, making the rest of the girls laugh. Soon everyone was laughing not really knowing why they were even laughing. Nikki knew Cameron didn't mean anything like what the girls kept going "ooh" over because they'd promised each other. She was practically dying with curiosity. "Come on, Cam... tell me?" she begged.

"Nope."

"Bradin, do you know?" she asked, turning to him.

Bradin just grinned.

"OH! You _do_ know!! Tell me, tell me!!" Nikki screeched.

"It's his present, Nik, let him tell you." Bradin chuckled.

"Grr..." Nikki groaned. "Cam??" she asked, hopefully.

Cameron glanced at his watch. "You'll know in about 8 and a half hours. Not that long." He was torturing her, he knew.

"No!!" Nikki laughed. "That's _way_ too long!!" she groaned. She looked at her aunt. Ava shook her head. "I don't have a clue."

"_Anybody_?" she asked desperately.

Everyone shook their heads including Cameron and Bradin. Nikki groaned again. Who knew if they knew or not, they were _all_ shaking their heads!! "You guys are exasperating." She said, pretending to be angry. Cameron laughed at her and glanced at Bradin. Bradin gave him a look Nikki couldn't decipher then stood up and said, "Why don't you go see what Johnny and Jay got you?"

"Yeah, that's right!" Jay laughed, standing up with everyone else and following the brand new 16-year-old up the stairs. Johnny passed Nikki and led the way into her room where Nikki gasped and squealed. "_That's_ mine!?" she exclaimed, unbelievingly, pointing from herself to it and back. The stereo _was _awesome.

"That's yours." Jay confirmed.

"I feel like a queen with everything I've gotten today!!" she laughed giddily and fooled around with the stereo for a few minutes.

Susannah, Ava, Erica, Rachel and Karen slipped away while she did this and set out the food, drinks and plates and all on the picnic tables, getting ready for everyone to come eat.

"Okay, let's go down and eat, isn't anyone starving??" Johnny asked, leading the way back downstairs.

"Yes!" came voices from all around.

Everybody had pretty much _just_ finished eating when it started to rain. Leave it to the old weathermen to call out rain in Southern California when it hadn't rained for 5 weeks right _on_ Nikki's birthday! Everybody rushed to get the leftover food and everything inside before it really started to pour. They almost succeeded but lost all the napkins as they soaked up the rain.

Everybody except Ava and Susannah went into the living room breathlessly and sat down, laughing and talking. After a few minutes Ava popped her head in the room and nodded her head at Bradin. He smiled and jumped up, coming over to his sister, followed by Jay.

"Guys!!" Nikki laughed as Jay and Bradin picked her up, as though she were sitting on a throne, and carried her into the kitchen, amid the parade of everyone else, all of them singing "Happy Birthday." They plopped her down in a chair at the table and continued singing as Erica and Ava brought out a massive cake with "Happy Birthday Nikki" and "Sixteen" scrawled across it in beautiful cursive, lit up with sixteen candles, no less.

"Ahh!!" Nikki squealed at the sight of it . She knew there'd be a cake at some point, but this cake was incredible!! It was an almond cake, Nikki's favorite, frosted white with pink stripes running through it and a yellow border around the edges. And it was _huge_. "Oh, my God!!" she exclaimed. "You guys did NOT get me this cake!"

"Happy Birthday, Nikki." Ava smiled, extremely happy to see how happy Nikki was, and kissed her niece on the cheek.

"Thank you!!" Nikki exclaimed.

"Make a wish!!" Fran yelled. Nikki smiled, shut her eyes tight then popped her eyes open, took a deep breath and blew out the sixteen candles that were burning bright atop the cake.

Everybody smiled and Susannah said. "Wait! Before you eat it..." She motioned Teresa over.

Teresa, who had been taking pictures of _everything_ and _everyone _all day long, walked over and got a top view of the cake and a picture of Nikki and it then laughed saying, "Now cut it!!"

Two hours, later the rain had quit and almost everyone who didn't live at the Gregory-Durant-Robertson-Rexford residence had left. Those who remained were Erica, Cameron, Amber S. and Teresa. Cameron and Nikki went for a walk down the beach, Erica and Jay left for her place so she could change then they were driving a few counties over to see a concert they'd bought tickets to a month before. Bradin and Teresa helped the rest of the family clean up. Jay and Erica would have helped but in order to get to the show on time, they would have to leave right then because it took an hour to drive there, the show started at 7 and it was quarter to 6 now. Nikki and Cameron offered to clean up but everyone insisted they just go off and enjoy some time alone.

After cleaning up, Bradin and Teresa sat outside watching the ocean. "I wanna get in the water again." Bradin said suddenly.

"Again?"

"I don't surf much anymore..." Bradin said thoughtfully.

"I've noticed. Why?"

"I don't know. For a while it's cause I couldn't... I was either too injured or in recovery and didn't feel like it. Then I just... I don't know, I just haven't." Bradin almost laughed.

"So get back in the water then!" Teresa smiled. "If you want to, why don't you?"

"I guess I will... good waves right now."

"Go!" Teresa laughed, knowing where he was taking this.

"Are you sure?" Bradin asked. He knew they were finally getting to spend some time together.

"Yes!" Teresa grinned. "Just don't stay in there all night.

"I won't. I can't anyway. Cameron has this thing planned for Nikki tonight and I have to help him get it ready... which means you have to distract Nikki. If you don't mind, that is." Bradin added.

"Of course not, silly! What's he got planned? And why didn't you get her anything anyway?" Teresa asked, puzzled.

"Oh, I did. She'll get it."

"What is it?"

"Can't say. You might tell her!" Bradin said mischievously and jumped up, running into the house as Teresa went to punch him in the arm, laughing.

Bradin had been in the water almost an hour, Teresa watching him from the shore, and minus a few crashes, he still had that natural talent that had gotten him noticed by Jay in the first place. and did really well for not having been out there in so long.

"He's surfing."

Teresa turned her head to find Bradin's best friend Lucas Freeman standing behind her, looking out at Bradin as he rode a medium large wave skillfully.

"Yep."

"How you doing?" Lucas asked, sitting down beside his best friend's fiancée.

"I am doing... well, I'm doing anyway." Teresa laughed. "No, actually, I'm doing really good! My best friend in the whole world just moved to Playa Linda and we're going to LA to close out the summer! It's gonna rock!"

"Wow, cool." Lucas seemed distracted.

"Um... you okay? You don't seem like yourself today or something." Teresa commented. Truth was, she didn't know Lucas all that well but this wasn't how he'd acted any other time she'd been around him.

"Nah, I'm fine." Lucas still seemed distracted, all this time he hadn't taken his eyes off of Bradin.

"So are you checking out my fiancé or something?" Teresa giggled.

Lucas finally looked at her. "No..." he rolled his eyes. "I just can't believe he's finally back out there. And still that damn good too!" he added, pretending to be jealous. "I get out of the water a _week_ and I suck when I get back in... But him? He's crazy good."

"Yeah... Well, I don't actually know cause I don't know anything about surfing but I've heard he's good..."

"Real good."

"I'll take your word for it." Teresa flashed a smile. "Why's it so shocking that he's surfing again though?"

"Just... I don't know. It was like he had quit or something. He had started surfing when he first got here then he quit."

"Yeah, when all that mess was going on, right?" Teresa asked, remembering why Bradin had said he'd quit surfing.

"I guess so. He never told me what was going on."

"He didn't?" Teresa had kind of thought he had, but then again, why would he have?

"Nope, never did. I heard tales but I don't know what's true and what's not so I discarded it all."

"What'd you hear?"

"That some psycho from his childhood was trying to kill him or some crazy shit like that."

Teresa looked back out at the ocean. She realized Bradin wasn't anywhere in sight. "Where's Bradin?" she asked suddenly, trying not to let the panic that was creeping into her heart make it to her voice.

"Huh?" Lucas glanced out at the water. Bradin definitely wasn't there. He stood up.

"Oh, my God, Lucas, did he go down!?" Teresa was on the verge of freaking out. She stood up beside Lucas, straining to catch even a glimpse of her fiancé in the suddenly scary waters of the Pacific Ocean.

Lucas didn't answer her and instead ran towards the ocean, ripping his shirt off as he went and crashing into the waves. He had glimpsed Bradin's head popping up in the water once but disappearing just as quickly and not coming back up. Something was wrong.

Teresa stood in the water ankle deep watching Lucas swim out to a semi particular spot and diving under. She prayed Bradin wasn't down there... God, please just say he'd... he'd... After almost 30 seconds, Lucas came up for air and dove right back under. The panicked look on his face stuck out in Teresa's mind. Lucas didn't look like that.

In a matter of four seconds, Teresa had a debated with herself on whether she'd be more trouble or help for Bradin if she went in too. She decided on the latter and pulled off her shirt and skirt and swam out to where Lucas had just submerged himself. Thank God she wore a bathing suit under _everything_ during the months of June, July and August.

Reaching the spot she was sure Lucas was, she dove under. The only good thing was that blood wasn't coloring the water, that meant he wasn't injured but more likely stuck... or passed out. She caught sight of Lucas and swam faster to the scene. Bradin's foot was stuck on the reef. Where or how he got unattached from his board didn't matter right now, he was drowning. That was all that mattered. Teresa wasn't used to holding her breath for so long but she forced it and worked with Lucas to free Bradin from the hold of the ocean rock. Just when Teresa felt her lungs would burst, they got Bradin loose. He was already apparently unconscious and Lucas grabbed him around the rib cage and pulled him to the surface. Teresa emerged right after Lucas did, both of them gasping for air, and swam with him back to the shore, where he stumbled warily out of the, dragging Bradin with him and laying the unconscious teen in the sand.

Teresa fell on her knees at Bradin's side while Lucas tried to resuscitate him with mouth-to-mouth. The seconds, though they were only 15 tops, seemed to drag by like the hours during the first night after her father and brother's fatal accident. Dear Lord, this had to have a different ending! It had to, had to, _had _to! He could _not_ die. Her heart beat two times faster then it normally did and she was sure she was squeezing Bradin's hand so tightly that he would think it had fallen off if he did wake up. She didn't breathe as Lucas tried to revive him. She realized this was a very different reaction then the hysterical panic she had experienced when her father was crushed by the 18-wheeler. This was a time freeze. And somehow it was far scarier. She couldn't think, much less speak, and the mood was an all too frightening anxiousness between the two conscious teens as the seconds dragged by, death seeming to hang in the air.

Lucas had just gone to force air into Bradin's lungs for the 4th time when the almost-18-year-old coughed. Lucas let out his breath in a sigh of relief and rolled Bradin onto his side to help the water pour out of his mouth easier.

"Oh, my God, Bradin!" Teresa gasped as time started ticking again. Tears finally found their way to her eyes and down her cheeks. She had been _this_ close to losing him. She couldn't have dealt with that. She just couldn't have. "Oh, my God... oh, my _God_..." she breathed, crying. She glanced at Lucas and saw that he looked just as shaken up as she did. And more importantly, just as relieved that Bradin was okay as she was.

Bradin was still coughing when Johnny Durant came running up out of nowhere. "What happened?" he asked, obviously anxious.

"He went down. I- I don't know..." Lucas wasn't thinking straight, he didn't need to be talking. He shook his head. That had been too damn close.

"Bradin, you alright?" Johnny asked, kneeling beside the dazed looking teen. Bradin just coughed some more. "Maybe I should call an ambulance..." Johnny considered.

"Where'd you come from all of a sudden?" Teresa asked with a nervous laugh, trying to wipe tears from her cheeks and eyes, all the while clutching Bradin's right hand with her left one.

"I was actually looking for Bradin, Ava wanted him for something but that doesn't matter." Johnny turned his attention back to Bradin. "Can you say something? Are you okay?"

Bradin didn't say anything but at least he was breathing.

"Brae?" Teresa asked gently. "Baby, say something, are you alright?"

Bradin nodded stiffly. His head ached and his whole upper body hurt from, first, holding his breath for so long before he must have finally passed out under water and, second, coughing so bad after he came to.

"Here..." Johnny and Lucas helped him sit up and he leaned against Teresa's body, still coughing slightly.

Teresa wrapped both her arms around him and held him to her, whispering, "Thank God you're okay.. oh my, God, I was so scared I'd lose you... Baby, are you alright?"

Again, Bradin didn't say anything, he was just concentrating on breathing right this moment.

"Please say _something_!" Teresa pleaded.

"It was a wicked wave." Bradin offered in a wry murmur. Teresa rolled her eyes, giving way to the relief that wanted to overtake her once she could knew for certain that Bradin was okay. "Oh, my God, Bradin Westerly!!" she held tightly to him and kissed him hard. He let her without question, still seeming disoriented and dazed.

He was obviously weak and shaken but he appeared to be okay so Johnny let the ambulance idea go. "What happened, Bradin?" he asked.

"I don't really know... it was weird. I must have been stuck?" he asked this rather then stated it.

"Yeah, on the reef." Teresa answered him. "You would have drowned there too if it hadn't been for Lucas." She smiled at him, grateful beyond words that he had gone in after Bradin.

Bradin looked up at Lucas and smiled weakly. "I didn't know you were here."

"I came up and was watching you and talking to Teresa but then we both quit looking out towards you and must have missed you go down cause the next thing I knew, Teresa was asking where you went and you weren't above the surface. I saw you emerge but get pulled back under so I went in after you. Your foot was stuck on the damned reef and I couldn't get it loose and was about to drown myself so I had to come up for air. I went back down and a second later Teresa came in too and together we managed to get you free and back to shore." Lucas finished, making sure he didn't make himself out to sound like any hero cause he really wasn't.

Bradin nodded, taking in everything Lucas said. "I was still breathing?"

"No. Luc gave you mouth-to-mouth." Teresa spoke up. "Thank God he was here cause even if I had gotten you out of the water, I don't know how to do that."

"It's a good thing to learn. I know a class for that stuff, I can get you in free if you want." Johnny offered.

"Thanks, I'll take you up on that." Teresa smiled, though not very long. Everybody was still reeling from the accident.

"I have a question..." Lucas started slowly.

Bradin raised his eyebrows suggesting that he go on and ask it.

"Where the hell is your board?"

"God only knows." Bradin said, not jokingly.

"Okay then."

"Let's get you home, Brae." Johnny said gently, realizing the young man was very weak, shaken and probably tired.

Bradin nodded and Johnny helped him pull off his wetsuit to his waist then he and Lucas helped him stand up while Teresa grabbed her clothes and Lucas's shirt and followed the three up the beach towards Bradin's house. After they reached the Gregory household, Teresa helped Bradin get completely out of his wetsuit, rinse and dry off and slip upstairs to his room all without Ava seeing him. He changed out of his wet swim trunks and fell out on his bed, Teresa coming and sitting by his side. "Are you really okay, Baby?"

"Yeah, I'm fine. I hate this though cause I was supposed to help Cameron with his present to Nikki..."

"Maybe I could do it for you?"

"Thanks but maybe Johnny'll just do it. You were supposed to distract her, remember?"

"Yeah, okay."

Bradin got back up. dressed in jeans and a T shirt and went downstairs with Teresa, who had also dressed, by his side. By this time Ava had heard the story from Lucas and Johnny and was just coming up to check on Bradin when he appeared in the living room looking considerably better and more oriented then he had on the beach. Teresa was in front of him, his hands wrapped around her waist, his head buried in her neck. She smiled at his aunt and pulled away from Bradin so she could give him a hug.

"Are you okay, Sweetie?" Ava asked, pulling out of the hug and placing her hands on Bradin's shoulders.

"Yeah, I'm fine. I'm hungry though." Bradin said, hinting at his aunt getting him something to eat.

"What would you like?" Ava asked, shaking her head at his "subtle" hinting.

"I don't care, anything." he answered with a smile. Ava smiled back, "Would you like a tuna salad sandwich?"

"Sure, thanks, Aunt Ava." Bradin smiled again. "And don't worry, I'm okay. Really." He knew she was still concerned for him. Ava smiled and went into the kitchen, followed by Susannah who had just come downstairs.

"Hey Johnny, how would you like to take my place in a little game of 'help-your-sister's-boyfriend-give-your-sister-a-crazy-birthday-present' tonight?" Bradin laughed, sitting down on the couch, Teresa snuggling her head onto his shoulder and wrapping her arms around his waist as he put one around her shoulder and the other around her waist.

"Wouldn't miss it." Johnny laughed back.

"Good. I'll tell Cameron to get you and not me tonight then."

"What exactly is this mysterious birthday present anyway?" Johnny asked.

"Cam knows this crazy pyromaniac who knows everything there is to know about fireworks and has a seemingly endless stock of them. And Cameron wrote Nikki a song and wanted to give it to her, only he wanted it to be just them that's why he didn't sing it to her at the party today. So he had this idea that if his friend would set off a small fireworks 'display' for them, that he could sing her the song then too. Basically, he's going to take Nikki out to dinner tonight, on the beach, then have his friend do the fireworks thing at midnight and then he'll sing her his song." Bradin explained Cameron's romantic present to Nikki with a smile.

"And I'll be left watching your aunt bite her nails off all the way until Nikki walks back through that front door." Johnny laughed. "But I'm not worried, Cam's a good guy. And besides, if you're not worried, I'm not. You watch out for Nikki like a mother hen, Bradin."

Bradin shook his head at this. "I love her. I'm not taking any chances with her, thank you."

"I know. I'm glad." Johnny smiled. "Anyway, what am I, as you, going to do?"

"Just help him get it set up... I don't really know, he'll tell you."

"Alright." Johnny agreed.

At that moment, Cameron came into the living room. "Hey, you crashed?" he asked, looking at Bradin.

"Yeah.. Johnny's gonna help you tonight, okay?"

"Sure. Don't worry about it." Cameron nodded. "Thanks Johnny." He added, turning to the middle aged man.

"Not a problem..." Johnny said. "So um... what am I doing?" he added, following Cameron into the kitchen and out the back door.

Ava brought Bradin and Teresa each a tuna salad sandwich, potato chips and lemonade. They thanked her and she said that she and Susannah were heading to the grocery store, was Bradin sure he was okay? He said that he was and they left a few minutes later.

After both teens had finished eating, Teresa turned Bradin's face to hers and kissed him gently. "I was so scared you wouldn't make it... I don't like you surfing, Baby."

"That doesn't usually happen... like, ever." Bradin assured.

"I know... I know it's a fluke but it _does_ happen. I just couldn't lose you." Teresa said, shifting her eyes down and away from Bradin's.

"You won't lose me, it's okay." Bradin kissed her lips. She deepened the kiss by opening her mouth and letting Bradin slip his tongue inside. "Mmm..." she murmured, moving her hands to the back of his head and playing with his hair.

"Whoa-whoops..."

Teresa and Bradin pulled apart and looked up to see Lucas Freeman standing in the living room entryway.

"Sorry, I'll go."

"No, it's fine." Teresa said quickly. "I actually have to go anyway. I'm supposed to be home at nine and I've still gotta find Nikki and make her come with me.

"Why?"

"Cause Cameron's surprising her with something and I'm supposed to keep her 'distracted.'" Teresa said with air quotes.

"Oh. Well, I'll give you guys a minute or whatever..." he said and headed into the kitchen, "Got any food in here?" he called over his shoulder.

"Pizza in the fridge." Bradin called back.

"Well... I guess I have to go, Baby." Teresa said quietly, not wanting to leave.

"Okay..." Bradin kissed her and she kissed him back. It turned into a make out session that was, again, interrupted by Lucas.

"Damn. Sorry..." He apologized. "I really should just leave."

"No, it's really fine cause I really have to go." Teresa laughed. "Bye, Baby." She kissed Bradin on the cheek. "I love you." She whispered in his air as he held her close in a hug, "Please, please be careful. I could never lose you."

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**There she be! Reviews please! And remember, the more reviews I get, the quicker I update, it's just law, I can't help it. Haha I mean, I probably COULD help it, but it sure would work better if everyone who reads would review! Thanks a gazillion, guys!**

_Dream,  
Anna Christie_

**PS Sorry if the surfing accident wasn't entirely realistic. I don't surf, I don't live on any coast, well, actually I do, but haha, I still don't surf. So I'm not sure about it, but I figured it would work enough.**

**PPS Have any of y'all seen Jesse's movie "Keith"? NO SPOILERS ****PLEASE****. I'm just wondering if any of y'all have, I'm trying to get it, so, like I said, don't mention anything about it. Thanks!**


	24. 23: Second Chances

**-robotic voice-I do not own Summerland.-end robotic voice-**

**Keith was ah-mazing.**

**Now for some thank you's, cause y'all deserve it!**

**Eek, 5 reviews! Thank you!! And see how much quicker it made me update?? lol**

**angel-prncess-18**, thanks! Glad you liked it, all of it! Haha I think you meant "with Lucas walking in while they were making out." Lol but yeah, I know. 'eh, that's not bad. It's only bad if you don't go buy it when it comes out. I really want to get it when/if it comes to DVD. (Your website didn't come through, but don't worry, I found it! Kinda obviously) Anywho, hope you like this chapter!

**6Ellie6**, hey, first I want to thank you so much for always reviewing each chapter even if you missed one. You're awesome! I knowww, Keith is amazing, as I said. Your website didn't come through either, haha, but I found it somewhere so don't worry about it. Yeah, I wanted everybody to be like, "Cameron..." at first. haha anywho, though, I don't know what Bradin's present is... can't pick between two things. LOL But I'll figure it out pretty soon. Yes, Bradin's birthday will be here shortly. Not this chapter, but probably next or the next. (about your review on ch22: yeah, Teresa's been ignoring him WAY too much. I don't think she'll actually forget, but she might just wish she had. Now, I trust you saw that yes, the scar was from Jerry Brown. And thank you for mentioning what length you like the chapters!) Enjoy this one!

**froggy2045**, awe, that sucks! Would you like me to PM you from now on when I update in case it doesn't send you an email? Cause fanfiction does that a lot I think. You live in Kansas? Awe, so cool! You're like, in the "home" of the Westerly's lol Anywho though, I replied to your PM about what you were mad, did you get it? I'm glad you liked tie locket bit, I'm a sucker for the sentimental stuff. And I thought having had Karen wearing it when she died was an interesting thing too, y'know? But anywho, (God, I need to quit saying that so much!) you did? Tear up, I mean. Aweee, thanks, I'm glad you liked it! I hope you like this chapter too! (Oh, and you _have _to see Keith)

**acciodanrad9**, merci!! Awe, well, thank you so much! I'm so glad you thought the accident was realistic and all. Means a lot. Ha! Scared you! Haha just kidding, but yeah, I'm glad he's okay too. Unfortunately... I like drama just a tad too much, so this may not be the end of Bradin's troubles... TEASER, TEASER ahem... sorry, anyway, yeah, I wanted Lucas in here a bunch even though, I'll be the first to admit, I write his character SO totally out of character. Haha Sorry, maybe I should have had him go to the hospital, but I just kind thought, if the person started breathing again and was okay, they didn't have to go... at least, that's been my experience. (not that I almost drowned, I mean, what I've sorta seen... if that makes any sense. But sorry if he should have.) And now, read the next chapter!! (And ahhhhh I saw Keith. -tearsss-)

**Ash Riley**, good! Lol I'm glad you like 'em long, cause I can't seem to shorten them anymore lol. Anywayz, yepers, spectacular party, I'm glad you liked the dialogue! (I know, I liked the locket bit) I'm sorry, I probably should have had them take him to the hospital but really, I don't know what they'd do. They'd probably be like, "Well is he breathing?" "Yes." "Okay then." LOL well, you know... Nah, no reaction. It is serous but once you recover, you recover so far as I can tell. I honestly wouldn't know what to say was wrong with him if I did that! Lol I do live by the coast, but I've never almost drowned. Thank God. Anywayz, thanks so much for the review and all your kind words, and here's your update!! (Keith... only decent? It had this huge impact on me but everything effects different people different ways, right? I mention it at the end btw)

* * *

**Chapter XXIII**

_**Second Chances**_

After Teresa left, Lucas sat down across from Bradin in one of the two arm chairs in the living room.

"I didn't even know you were still here since you guys brought me home." Bradin laughed.

"Yeah, I was throwing to your brother."

"He _loves _baseball..."

Lucas nodded giddily, joking that maybe Derrick liked baseball a little _too_ much.

"Hey, Luc... You saved my life." Bradin said seriously. "Thank you."

Lucas nodded, not wanting to be anybody's "hero." "I know you would've gone in after me if I'd gone down. Don't mention it."

Bradin smiled. "Still."

"What happened to you, Brae?" Lucas asked quietly, changing the subject. He really had been wondering lately.

"Huh? When? Today? What are you talking about?" Bradin laughed. He really didn't know what Lucas was referring to.

"Not too long after you moved here."

Bradin stopped smiling. "Oh, that." the words hung dry in the air, not leaving room for questions.

"I guess, 'that.' What happened?" Lucas asked, despite the way Bradin had spoken.

"I don't talk about it." Bradin said firmly.

"I hate hearing rumors... I'd rather hear it straight from you. Besides, we're friends."

"We're not in Elementary school, Lucas. 'We're friends' doesn't exactly work anymore. It's a little childish, don't you think?" Bradin smirked. He actually didn't care if Lucas said that or not, he just didn't want to talk about what had happened to him. It was bad enough his whole damn family knew... he knew they were always worried he wasn't entirely recovered from that. And maybe he wasn't, but he didn't need them all over him about it. Not that they _were_... It just kind of felt that way when one of them found you awake in middle of the night and started asking if you were okay and did you have a nightmare as though you were 7, not 17.

"Sorry... but I mean it, it's bugging me that something happened to you and I have no idea what it was... except from the rumors I've heard." Lucas said.

Bradin frowned. He hadn't been aware there was anything about this outside of his and, of course, Teresa's immediate families. "What rumors? Who's spreading rumors?"

"Um..." Lucas realized he'd just opened a can of worms.

"What the hell, man? What rumors?" Bradin was on the verge of being pissed.

"Just some of our friends... They're not _spreading_ them, just... Um, I mean... I don't know, Bradin... Damn, I'm sorry I brought it up." Lucas squirmed uncomfortably. The look on Bradin's face was not a good one.

"What are they saying?" he asked calmly, crossing his arms over his chest.

"That some dude you knew before you moved here, or your dad knew or something, was beating you back in Kansas and that he came here and gave you trouble... or uh... I don't know, something like that." Lucas finished, almost nervously. Bradin looked just a little too calm right this second.

"Really." It wasn't a question.

"Yeah..." Lucas answered it anyway.

"And what do you want to know?"

"What really happened..." Lucas muttered.

"What else are they saying?"

"That's really all I've heard... I think that's all anybody quote, unquote, knows." Lucas assured.

"Luc, I really don't like to talk about it... people look at you different when they know your secrets." Bradin's voice had softened and he almost looked sad.

"I don't do that, come on, you know that." Lucas insisted.

"I don't know... why do you want to know?"

"I told you, I don't like knowing something happened to my best friend but having no real idea what it was." Lucas said.

Bradin figured he might as well tell him. Why, he didn't really know but he just felt like he might as well. "Um... there was this... guy my dad knew." He looked up to find Lucas just patiently waiting. He looked back down. "Well, uh... I... I mean, he was a psycho but Dad had known him since before any of us were even born and we all trusted him." Again Bradin stopped. He didn't want to remember this... "I think maybe he wasn't crazy at first... but he sure as hell was when this happened."

"And 'this' is..." Lucas prompted gently, sensing Bradin _really_ didn't like to talk about whatever had happened to him.

"Right, well, he showed up at our house back in Kansas one day and that was kind of weird to begin with but I brushed it off. I mean, it wasn't weird he came over, cause he did that all the time, it was weird he came over about an hour and half before my dad was even supposed to be off work. But he said Dad told him to come over so I didn't think anything of it and let him in." Bradin stopped yet again. He was staring at the floor, leaning forward, his hands clasped between his knees. He glanced up at Lucas. "You really want to know?"

"I did. That's why I asked."

Bradin took a deep breath and looked back at the floor. "Well, Jerry-" He paused, wincing. The man didn't deserve the respect of having a name.

"That's the guy?"

"Yeah... Anyway, he said he'd just wait for my dad to come home so I went upstairs to finish my homework, damned algebra." He chuckled slightly before continuing. "A few minutes later Jerry came up to my room, came in, shut the door and grinned at me. I thought that was weird enough but then he opened his mouth and told me what he wanted and it only got weirder." Bradin stopped speaking and looked up at his best friend. "Extremely long story short, he... he molested me that night and beat me when I resisted him." Bradin averted Lucas's eyes, swallowing.

Lucas didn't speak and Bradin was afraid to look back at him.

"That's... it?" Lucas was sure there must be more to the story then that.

"No... he... um, he did that several more times... it only stopped when I moved here..." Bradin was ashamed of the whole damn thing. In hindsight it was clear that he should have just told his parents what was going on. But, as they say, hindsight _is_ 20/20.

"And _that's_ it?" He still didn't think that was the end of the story.

Bradin sighed. "No, he showed up here, in Playa Linda."

"Was he after you?"

"No, I think the location was just a coincidence but he managed to meet Johnny, of all people, and they became friends. Of course, nobody knew what Jerry had done to me except for Jerry and me, and by that time, Teresa too, so it wasn't Johnny's fault he was able to get close to me again..."

"Did he fool with you again?"

Bradin shrugged. At this point he was looking back at Lucas. "I think so but I was passed out when he did it, if he did it. I guess I can't be _certain_... but I'm pretty damn sure. I knew what it felt like afterward and the way Jerry acted afterward too... so I'm pretty sure, it just wouldn't hold up in a court."

"Wait... what?"

"Jerry kidnapped me one night after trying to kill me with a knife and took me up to Hollinger's Point where he beat me till I passed out and when I woke up he was acting like he'd messed with me..."

"Oh... then?"

"Then he tried to push me over the edge and came so damn close it's not even funny. He actually did push me, but I grabbed his hand before he could turn and that saved my life."

"The dude _was_ a psycho..." Lucas mumbled.

"A huge psycho." Bradin confirmed. He bit his bottom lip. "Another extremely long story short, just about everybody in my family knew about what Jerry had done to me by then and they found us on Hollinger's Point and Jerry walked off the cliff and killed himself."

Lucas looked shocked after hearing the whole story. "You're serious about all that?" Shit, not a good thing to say after your best friend just told you somebody used to molest him and had tried to kill him twice.

Bradin looked hurt, confirming what Lucas had just thought.

"Sorry. I believe you. It's just... that's crazy. How old were you?"

Bradin cringed. He was also ashamed of how old he'd been. "15 in Kansas, 16 here."

"Oh."

"I was an idiot for not telling, I know, you don't have to tell me." Bradin grumbled. He hated being judged.

"No, no, that's not what I was thinking. I um... actually I admire you." Lucas admitted.

Bradin looked at Lucas.

"I wouldn't have held up. I probably would have just OD'd and been done with it." Lucas slightly laughed, but he was serious.

"Or told somebody like _I_ should have." Bradin insisted, beating himself up though no one else was.

"Damn that, Bradin. You're scared when shit like that happens. You don't see the truth about it until after the fact, you know that, don't put yourself through that." Lucas yelled, surprising both of them with his vigor. He lowered his voice to normal. "I mean... I'm serious, Bradin. I'm not judging you, don't judge yourself."

"You're not thinking _anything _about me right now? You're serious?" Bradin was almost laughing at Lucas, surely he was lying.

"Of course I'm serious! Why? Is it impossible that I'm not thinking anything of you right now??" Lucas was almost pissed at Bradin. Why would he think that he'd be thinking something of him.

"I just didn't think people my own age would react the way you and Teresa did... Call me gay or something, maybe, but not just... be okay with it." Bradin again almost laughed, not at Lucas this time though.

"They would if they happened to care about you in any way at all." Lucas way overdid his sentence, making Bradin smile and shake his head.

"Thanks, huh?"

"For what? I'm the one that bugged the shit out of you till you told me." Lucas grinned.

Bradin rolled his eyes. "Yeah, whatever."

"I meant what I said."

"About what?"

"Admiring you."

"What the hell for?" Bradin wanted to know, slightly amused with this statement.

"Like I said, I never would have held up. But look at you, you've kept on living, kept going everyday hiding that and then, after the fact, you've moved on like it never happened. Or at least, so far as I've been able to see." Lucas realized he couldn't really know what was going on, on the inside of Bradin.

"I guess so..." Bradin shrugged. "But I'm no hero."

"I didn't say you were. Incidentally, how'd he get away with it?"

"He would beat me... Threaten me... Both. If I would fight him he would knock the shit out of me. And if I kept fighting him even after that, he'd threaten to hurt my-" Bradin stopped, he didn't think he should mention _who_ Jerry had threatened to hurt. "uh... somebody that was really close to me." He changed what he had been about to say.

Lucas nodded, knowing he didn't want to name names.

"So I would just give up stopping him and lay back while he satisfied his sick mind. Besides, he'd beat me and I'd have to come up with an explanation for the bruises. After the first three times the dumb ass got enough sense to stop hitting me in the face, cause somebody was going to catch him if they kept seeing my face fucked up."

"Didn't you get... I don't know, tired of it?"

"No, I didn't get tired of it." Bradin mocked, sarcastically. "Fuck yeah, I did, but what was I going to do about it exactly?"

"I just mean, even with the threats and all, I probably couldn't have made myself at least _try_ to fight him off... still not judging you, I'm just saying." Lucas clarified.

Bradin shrugged. "First off, it's easy to say you'd do one thing and then, when you find yourself in the situation, do something different. But, that aside, I _would _get tired of it. But a lot of times it just wasn't worth it to endure the pain and I'd just let him... Sometimes I was fed up and I'd fight him and he wouldn't come around for days for fear my dad would see the bruises on his face."

"What do you mean?"

"I'd tear his face up. I mean, he was much stronger then me and he was evil, so he'd still win, but I'd give it everything I had and he'd sometimes end up looking worse then I did." Bradin smirked. "I wanted to kill him and I even figured out how I could do it one time... but I gave up the idea cause I realized I couldn't handle knowing that I'd killed somebody... no matter how devilish they were."

"Damn... Were you ever able to make him quit?"

"By fighting him, you mean?"

Lucas nodded.

Bradin grimaced. "First of all, you should know that he'd always come over a good 2 hours before either of my parents or siblings were due home... I guess to ensure that he'd have enough time to get what he wanted, but whatever.. And I would have gone to a friend's house but my dad was strict about that kind of stuff and besides, if I started going to a friend's house everyday after school then something was bound to come up about it... so, you know."

"Yeah. Okay."

"But one time I got the upper hand and wound up slamming him into my mom's China cabinet. It gashed his head open in the back and he passed out and I had a second chance to kill him. But, again, I couldn't take knowing I'd killed somebody. So I didn't do anything." Bradin paused a second then continued, staring at nothing as he thought back to that day. "So he's laying there on the ground in his own blood and my nose feels like it's broken and it's bleeding and not stopping and I'm thinking to myself, why the hell don't I leave and just let my dad find him there... But I couldn't. I didn't want anybody to know about it, so I tried to revive him, which took splashing ice water on his face. He was furious and probably would've killed me right then and there if I hadn't pointed out that my mother was going to be home in 40 minutes. He looked panicked and for that moment we shared a mutual drive to make sure my parents didn't find out what was going on. I swear, blood was fucking everywhere and to this day, I don't know how he cleaned it all up by himself and got rid of the evidence in 40 minutes, but he did."

"Where were you?"

"He 'ordered' me upstairs to clean myself up, so that's where I went. He must have _just_ slipped out the back door when my mom got home too cause I could still smell the blood mingled with the cleaner he'd been using, when I went downstairs to greet her. She must have smelled it too cause she asked me what that was and I said some stupid lie about spilling something or another and having to clean it up... I don't really remember."

"So you stopped him that time, correct?"

"For then, yeah. Talk about your bad timing... That was on a Thursday afternoon. My mom and sister were volunteering to read to sick children at our local Children's Hospital the coming weekend and my dad was taking my brother on a fishing trip the same weekend."

"Uh oh?"

Bradin nodded. "I would've gone too except he'd promised he'd do something with just Derrick one weekend so I got left at home with the monster.

"Why didn't you volunteer with your mom and sister just to make sure you weren't home alone?"

"That was my mom and Nikki's thing..." Bradin chuckled. "I think my family felt awful for leaving me out of everything that weekend too cause they were all extremely nice to me the next week, and the following weekend we all went camping, which I loved doing with my family..." For half a second Bradin looked like he might cry but then he plunged on with his story, leaving the memories of his family behind. "Anyway, when I say the hospital was local... I mean 50 miles away." Bradin laughed at the look on Lucas's face. "This was rural Kansas, man. Anyway, my mom and Nik just stayed there the whole weekend leaving me home completely alone completely terrified cause I knew I'd pissed Jerry off beyond any state of rage I'd seen him at yet. And, to make it worse, my dad asked him if he'd mind 'checking in on me' that weekend just to make sure I was doing okay and wasn't doing something I wasn't supposed to be, like, throwing a party or anything. And he checked in on me alright."

Lucas winced.

"I'd never hurt so bad in my life... And never really have again, actually. It was only topped by the pain from the night he tried to kill me here in Playa Linda and another night he attacked me in November of last year..."

"What happened that night and what'd he do to you that weekend in Kansas?"

"In November he caught me alone on the beach and beat the _hell_ out of me. I thought I was gonna drown on the beach there cause the tide was rising, it was raining and nobody was around. Then Teresa, on her way to my house no less, passed me and happened to see me. We went back to her house that night and she almost talked me into going to the hospital but I said I was fine and went to sleep. But the pain was excruciating... especially my side."

"What happened to your- oh." Lucas stopped short, as Bradin lifted his shirt to reveal the ugly scar on his right side. "I wondered what that was from." Lucas said.

"I honestly don't know what he did to me... but whatever it was, it hurt like hell."

"Did he _stab_ you, man?"

"Might have, sort of... but I don't know. I would think that would have been a lot worse." Bradin shrugged. He really couldn't believe how easy it was for him to talk about all of this... but he was glad to be, really. It had been bothering him lately for some reason. And Lucas was being a surprisingly good listener, asking questions here and there but not going wild and freaking out.

"And that weekend?"

"Oh, yeah. Well, he came over early Saturday morning and, thank my dad for this one cause he lent him a key, came in the house and up to my room before I was even awake. He woke me up though, jerking me out of bed to the floor. I knew what was coming and I didn't want to deal with it but I fought back when he tried to beat me up. I don't know if that subdued him or made him worse, but he beat me till I had passed out once, woken back up and passed out again. After that I guess he got bored with me cause I woke up about two hours later, laying on my bedroom floor, blood all over everything. Jerry was downstairs and I knew if I cleaned myself up and tried to lay down in my bed he'd just decide it was play time so I just shut my eyes and fell asleep on the fucking hardwood floor, still bleeding. Which, I have to admit, was stupid cause I didn't know just how beat up I was. I should have thought about it though, cause I could barely move."

"And you never went to a doctor during all this?" Lucas asked.

Bradin shook his head. "No. I couldn't... probably should have but I couldn't and I didn't. "

"Wasn't that um... I don't know, bad?"

Bradin shrugged. "I'm still alive, and I'm fine, so I guess it's okay, huh?" he laughed.

Lucas shook his head. "You're crazy."

"Maybe."

"God must be watching out for you..." Lucas shook his head, chuckling. "I mean, with everything you've lived through, He must have a couple angels on the job."

Bradin laughed. He knew what Lucas meant. "Yeah... my aunt Grace says God kept me alive... And I'm not gonna argue."

Lucas nodded. "So are you going to try out for the team this year?"

Bradin smiled at how easily Lucas had changed the subject off of everything that had happened in Bradin's past. "I don't know... I might"

"Well either way, be careful. That was too close today, man..."

Bradin knew Lucas was meaning that he didn't want anything to happen to him. "I will. And hey, if I go down, I've got you, right?" he joked.

"Ha. Ha. Sure." Lucas rolled his eyes. "What's planned for your birthday? You gotta go crazy!"

"I'm sure my aunt, who's the queen of making sure you have a 'surprise party,' even if you're turning 30, is gonna do something... but I don't know about me. I mean, I don't know if I'll be doing anything else."

"You should come party and hang with everybody, man! You know, you're birthday, last day of summer, start of senior year... it'd be great!"

"I might..." Bradin bit his lip. "Teresa..."

"Huh?"

"She's... she can just really piss me off." Bradin seemed frustrated, almost mad.

"What'd she do?"

"Nothing really- I don't know! She's..." Bradin didn't even know what he was saying. "She's Teresa, I guess."

"Ah. Thanks for clearing that up." Lucas said in a smart aleck tone.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Bradin threw one of the throw pillows on the couch at Lucas.

"Hey!"

"What? That's what they're for, right?"

--

"I'm glad I could get to spend a little time with you before I leave tomorrow..." Teresa Coleman sighed happily to her fiancée as they walked along the beach together.

"Mm hmm..." Bradin was distracted. She still hadn't even mentioned his birthday. Maybe she was lying about being gone through it just to surprise him... but he doubted that. It was Tuesday, August 26th about four in the afternoon and Teresa had called Bradin asking if he'd like to go for a walk with her.

"Okay." Teresa stopped walking and turned to face the older teen. "What is up with you!?"

"Up with me what? What do you mean?" Bradin didn't mean to be seeming so cold but he figured it was showing through anyway.

"Oh, come on, please! You know, you're like, all distant and... I don't know, just what's up with you!?" Teresa wasn't being mean, she was just wanting to know.

"Nothing..." Bradin grinned at her. "I'll miss you." He said.

Teresa rolled her eyes. "That is so not-"

She was cut off as Bradin's lips met hers. After a few minutes the two found themselves sitting in the sand in the middle of a major make out session.

"I see you _did_ manage to make it home safely."

Bradin pulled away from Teresa and looked up, squinting at the sunlight. "Huh?" A blonde haired girl Bradin's age was standing above the two teens, apparently addressing Bradin. "Do I know you?"

The girl smirked. "It's Chloe, idiot. I should hope you know me after you fucked me!"

Bradin could feel Teresa tense. "I'm sorry, I really don't know you." He said, standing up and facing her. Teresa stood also.

"You _do_ know me. You probably just don't remember, you _were_ pretty out of it." Chloe said, laughing as if it were no big deal. "But maybe I can help you remember..."

Bradin didn't say anything. He _didn't_ know this girl... then again, _did _he?

"Joey's house. Joey's room. Joey's _bed_." Chloe smirked. "Joey and Katie in the corner."

All at once the memory hit Bradin. And it felt like a punch to the gut because he remembered being all over her and her all over him, clothed, well, except for his shirt, But he just couldn't remember what they did after that. This was not a good thing.

"Bradin?" a hand waved in front of his face. Bradin realized Teresa was staring at him, her arms folded across her chest, a pissed look covering her face. She had asked him a question but he hadn't heard her.

Ignoring her he spoke to Chloe. "I didn't fuck you, bitch."

"Bitch? That's not what you were calling me that night, Bradin." Truthfully, Chloe couldn't remember what he might have called her that night, but she remembered he wouldn't sleep with her and that it pissed her off. Now, seeing him with another girl, who was apparently his girlfriend, she couldn't resist making trouble for his relationship. It wouldn't hurt her any, in fact, it felt pretty good. "Don't you remember?"

Bradin frowned. "I didn't sleep with you." The slightest trace of uncertainty showed in his voice and Teresa picked up on it and went with it like a rolling snowball.

"You don't fucking remember whether you slept with her or not!?" She exclaimed.

Chloe cocked her head to one side, acting as though she just noticed Teresa for the first time. "Who are you?" she asked, her voice hinting at jealousy.

"I'm his _fiancée_." Teresa said, glaring at the other girl. "Who are _you_?"

Bradin groaned internally. Girl fights weren't his favorite thing.

"Well, I don't know, but I do know I was his little 'sex friend' a few weeks ago. He left drunk, I've been worried about him ever since... he just hasn't been around." Here, she looked back at Bradin. "Where have you been, Brae?"

"I don't fucking know you. If I did anything with you, I was too drunk to know it." Bradin said angrily. "Why are you acting like you hang out with me all the time or something? I didn't even fucking _know _you before that night at Joey's!"

"Then you _do_ know her." Teresa gritted her teeth. He had _cheated_ on her? Wait... he was _allowed _to cheat at least twice... No, he wasn't. Yes, he _was_. NO, HE WASN'T!! No matter how many times she tried to tell herself that he was, it kept coming back the other way. She could cheat but he couldn't. No, she couldn't but she had. But he had forgiven her so it was okay. But he wasn't allowed to cheat on her... what the fuck?

"I met her at Joey's that night Nikki and I got in the fight. I didn't know her before that and haven't known her since." Bradin answered Teresa then turned back to Chloe. "I don't think you even remember that night, so why are you talking?"

"I _do_ remember that night. And I remember it was _amazing_." Chloe emphasized the last word by giving Bradin a seductive wink and smile.

"We didn't fuck!!" Bradin was angry now. And he was almost certain they hadn't gone that far... but of course, being only 98 sure of something isn't quite good enough to make it go away.

"Why is she saying you did if you didn't, Bradin?" Teresa spat, angrily.

"I don't know! Maybe she's trying to make you jealous!"

"Make me jealous of what?" Teresa asked, venom in her voice. "Something you did?"

"We didn't do..." Bradin let his voice trail off. Actually, he couldn't say they didn't do anything because they had done something. Not what Chloe was saying they'd done but still, they _had_ done _something_. "We didn't fuck." He said instead.

"Then what?" Teresa's eyes were filled with anger and Bradin didn't like seeing her that way.

"Teresa, I swear, I didn't sleep with her." Bradin's voice still wasn't 100 certain sounding and it pissed Teresa off even more that he would 'swear' to something he wasn't completely sure of. "You can't even remember can you!?" she yelled at him.

"Ahem." Chloe cleared her throat, making both teens look at her. "Maybe this is my cue to um... leave." She said quietly, then added in a flirty tone. "I'll catch _you _later, _Bradin_."

Teresa hissed, "Why don't you just go with her now!?" and stormed off.

"Why the hell did you say that!?" Bradin yelled at Chloe. "You fucking _know_ I didn't sleep with you!!"

"No... but I thought you were going to... and I wanted you to." Chloe smiled wickedly. "Then you wouldn't. And nobody leads me on." With that, she flicked her hair over her shoulder, gave Bradin one last flirtatious smile, and walked off leaving Bradin alone, kicking himself for having gotten drunk that night.

--

"Reese... I swear."

"How can you do that?!"

"Do what?" Bradin was walking beside Teresa Coleman, who he had found wandering around the beach, trying to apologize to her.

"Swear something to me that you can't even fucking _remember_!!" Teresa yelled angrily.

"I do remember. I remember what we did and sex was not a part of it. I swear, I remember." Bradin's voice was sincere.

This time his voice really was sure, Teresa decided. "Then what _did _you do?" She still wasn't going to let him go that easily.

"We had a heavy make-out session... and that's about it."

"About?"

"I touched her... she took my shirt off... kissed in places other then the mouth. That's it." Bradin, though it was clear he was ashamed, didn't look down or away, he was man enough to look her in the eyes even as he admitted what he'd done with another girl.

Teresa frowned. "I thought you were with _me_!"

"I _am _with you." Bradin insisted. "I made a mistake and I'm sorry. I can't do anything more, Reese."

"Why'd you try to hide it from me!?"

"What?"

"You didn't tell me and I find out like, a month later from the _girl_." Teresa was pissed that he hadn't come clean right away.

"I didn't remember it. At all. Not until the moment she said 'Joey and Katie in the corner,' I promise you, Reese. If I had remembered it, I would have told you right away."

Teresa looked skeptical. "You didn't _remember _almost fucking some other girl?"

Bradin groaned. "No. I was drunk! Have you ever been drunk? Do you realize it's hard to remember stuff that happened while you were?!" Bradin was trying to be patient with her but really, for God's sake, she had gone all the way, _sober_, and he'd forgiven her so what was her problem!?

"I've been drunk maybe 3 times. And yeah, I know... but really, I would think you would remember _that_!"

"I was too wrapped up in the whole 'my siblings hate me' thing to actually remember _anything_ from that night. I never thought about it again, so why should I have remembered?"

"I would just think you would." Teresa stood her ground.

"Well, I didn't."

"Well I think you should have."

"Well, I _didn't_, Teresa. And now that I do, I'm apologizing to you. I'm sorry, it won't happen again."

"Bradin..." Teresa looked him straight in the eye. "You get drunk, you do stupid things. How can you say it won't happen again?"

"If I don't get drunk then it can't, can it?"

"Not unless you decide to just cheat on-"

"I fucking wouldn't do that, Reese!!"

"How can I be sure?"

"Have I ever before?"

"Well... no" Teresa admitted. "But-"

"No, buts, you have no reason to think I would do something like that if I was sober." Bradin frowned. "Teresa, _you're_ the only one of us who's done that. And I'm still with you... I would think you could at least give me another chance."

Teresa knew he was right. She sighed, giving in. "Alright... you're right."

"Then we're okay?"

Teresa gave a smile. "Yeah."

Bradin wrapped her in a hug. "Good... I could never lose you. I love you."

After walking a little while longer Bradin remembered something Teresa had never told him about. "What was it you were grounded for that time, Baby?"

Teresa giggled. "Oh, my God! I was talking to Bethany on the phone, she wasn't here yet, you know, and I was telling her how my mom had this boyfriend and all and how they were going out every single night they got the chance. And Beth said they were probably 'gettin' it on' at his house. And I was laughing at her and all and she was like, 'Reese, you should leave a box of 'you know what's' in your mom's room. It would be so hilarious!!' And so, I, like an idiot, did it." Teresa laughed aloud. "My mom's face was soooo red, she was freaking out, yelling at me and stuff but it was worth it just to see her that way!"

Bradin shook his head. "My little bad ass..."

"Uhhh huh!" Teresa giggled. "Bethany's a riot."

"She is kind of funny, yeah.." Bradin teased his fiancée.

"You love her and you know it, Westerly." Teresa hit him in the arm.

"She's be fine if she wasn't always with you..."

"Huh?" Teresa laughed

"I mean, you guys are always together, so I don't get to see you enough..." Bradin kissed her cheek.

"Awe... my poor baby..." Teresa cooed, wrapping her arms around Bradin's neck and pulling him into a kiss. After a few more minutes, Bradin had to head home, even though it was only 2 in the afternoon, because his aunt was ordering "all kids on deck to go school shopping, now." At least, that's what the text Nikki had just sent him said.

"I'll call you from LA like, every night and tell you about everything, okay?"

Bradin nodded. "Yeah..."

"I'll miss you, I wish you could be there! Ahh, that would be so awesome!"

"Yeah..."

"What happened to your vocabulary!?" Teresa laughed.

Bradin shrugged.

"Brae!"

He grinned. "I'll see you soon, I love you."

"I love you too."

Bradin kissed Teresa on the lips and the two went their separate ways. Teresa to pack, Bradin to suffer through school shopping with two other Westerly's and a Gregory. Or what the Nikki and Bradin liked to call, "chaos at it's peak."

* * *

**There's your chapter, guys! Sorry this one was just kinda... filler. Nothing much really happened, and I just don't know about the whole conversation with Lucas at the beginning, but I kinda needed him to at least know what happened, and also, we got more background on the whole thing from Bradin... so yeah... um sorry if it sucked. And the chapter title sucked. And mostly, I kinda am judging my writing a little too much lately, AND, I am not finding time to proof read it, so I'm sorry if there are a lot of spelling/grammar whatever mistakes. I try to keep up with it all, but I don't always get to. Anyway, now that I've possibly talked you out of liking the chapter, lol, please review!! Haha I'm sure y'all can make me feel at least a little better about it! (unless it really did suck, in which case, let me know that too! Good Lord, I need to shut up. so sorry)**

_Xoxo,  
_Anna Christie

**-SPOILER- SKIP THIS IF YOU HAVEN'T SEEN KEITH. –SPOILER-**

I watched Keith yesterday! Oh, M, G. I was crying and I do not cry at movies. Only, I thought that Natalie should have been pregnant with Keith's baby in the end... sort of like, "he lives on" or something. But dude, I was freakin' crying!! I wanted him to live so bad. And like, when she finally finds out and is like, "You could have told me" and all that in the truck and she says "That's not fair" and he stops the truck and yells all that about what's fair. I was like, Oh, my Goddd, I would have been crying if I were Natalie. And just, ack, all the scenes with the two of them were amazing. Completely unbiased I have to say that Jesse did a really, really incredible job with the character of Keith. I think Keith is hard to grasp in the first place, and Jesse just really brought him to life. But anyway, I guess that's all the room I can take up here. The movie was very amazing. (Who else agrees that Jesse has, or had anyway, the most amazing sad face?? Haha Like, when Natalie's standing behind him telling him "I just know I wanna be with you." And all that, Jesse's face is so tear jerking! And for the record, Elizabeth (last name I can't spell) did a really great job too. Isn't she in something else? I want to see that if she is, anybody know? Thanks! Just cause I'm crazy like this, favorite scene from Keith anybody? Mine had to be when they're standing in the airport and he's saying "I screwed you big time." And she pulls him to her and whispers, "I made love to you." Ahhhh I loved that. Okay, I'm done now.


	25. 24: Make This Right

**I do not own Summerland.**

**Hey, guys! Kinda short update cause I'm having a lot of trouble writing... But I had to get something up here cause I might be gone for a week or possibly two. But I'm not sure yet how long it will be, I just know I won't be able to update very immediately this time. I'm sorry.**

**A few little thank you shout outs and I gotta go.**

**acciodanrad9**, thanks a million, girl, I'm glad you liked it! Well, she'll realize it sooner or later, I'm sure. I hope you like this chapter! (Yeah, only I was starting to cry at the airport scene cause I knew it was almost over... soooo sad. Jesse's an amazing actor, he deff needs to act more. I know, I said that, didn't I? Lol or did I just think it. About Jesse doing great sad faces.)

**6Ellie6**, thanks!! Well, you got some background info on Jerry now, haha. Yeah, Chloe, icky, but she had to be there to set up for something later... I hope you like this chapter!! (Yes, I LOVED Keith too! Haha Yeah, me either, but I already said that. It was incredibly sad. Really good movie though. Jesse's always been, always will be, hot! Lol I mean, hotT!!)

**Ash Riley**, thanks ya!!! Yes, I meant to say "thanks ya" haha Anywho, I'm glad you liked it even if it was filler. Drama does run rampant in my story and no, not so much in real life... though a lot. Haha Or maybe my life's just wild. But either way, it makes a better story, methinks! Anyway, I hope you like this chapter! (I want to read the short story!! I'll have to find it. I understand that. I'm sorry somebody you knew went through that... of course you can never get the pain across the way it's really felt, I know. I'm sorry.)

**angel-prncess-18**, thank you! Oh, she left for his birthday all right... :evil laugh: but you'll just have to read to see what happens! Thanks, glad you liked the Chloe incident! (It was funny, don't feel bad for laughing! Lol) Yes, Keith was amazing. I've never seen A Walk To Remember.. I'll have to get that. I KNOW hahahaha I loved that line (fxck you etc in case you dk what I'm talking about) haha Anyway, enjoy the update!!! (Awe, Billy too... so sad)

**froggy2045**, MERCI SOOO MUCH! Haha Glad you liked the convo and glad you liked, well, everything! Lol Oh, believe me, there's a surprise up my sleeve. I hope you like this update!!! (You do know WHERE to see Keith, right? Cause if not, I can get you a link.) And here's your "more" you asked for!! Lol

**SoMuch4MyHappyEnding**, I knew you meant Aubrey lol but thanks. I don't have a clue. Would you like me to send you a PM every time I update so you won't miss them? Cause Ffnet doesn't always seem to get the updates out. :shrug: if you want, I will! :D Yeah, you probably should put me on author alert! Lol I thought I was, so just ignore what I just said. Whoops, I've just been informed that I have to get offline so yeah... I'm just glad you loved the chapter and everything!!! :teases you: we'll just have to seeeee about Brae/Reese.......................... won't we? :wink: Yeah, "You know what's" lmbo. Thanks a gazillion!! I hope you like this chapter!!

**There's a cameo in here, I hope y'all like it. But I don't know the dude, so I don't know if he'd actually act totally like he does here, but yeah, still hope you like it and the chapter!!

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**Chapter XXIV**

_**Make This Right**_

August 31st. Bradin woke up at 5am, groaned, tried to go back to sleep for over half an hour and couldn't. Well this sucked right here. He got up and went downstairs and down the beach to the shoreline, where he sat watching the waves come in. So he was eighteen, huh? He looked up at the stars and blinked back a tear. "Hey, guys... I just hope I'm making you proud up there..." He smiled at nothing and looked back out at the ocean. A very similar memory hit him. Only that one had been much sadder. Or, the first part of it had anyway... Hadn't he been doing this very thing almost a year ago? That was the night/morning he met Teresa. Teresa...

Bradin frowned. He really didn't care that much about his birthday. He really didn't. But you see, wasn't Teresa supposed to at least _remember_ it? She could have told him, "Hey, Baby, I might be gone through your birthday." And he wouldn't have minded much. But the fact that she seemed to just be caught up in everything but him was bugging him. She was always with Bethany now... always, no exaggeration. Was he marrying Teresa or Bethany?? And was he even marrying her anymore? They'd almost broken up, what, three times now? He sighed. Maybe a crazy party with Lucas tonight was a good idea... Lucas had called him the night before and told him that everybody was up for a wild party to celebrate his birthday/end of summer/start of senior year/Labor Day if he wanted to come. He'd said no but now it seemed like a fun idea... Maybe he could drink and just let go for a little while. No, he'd told Teresa he wasn't going to drink anymore in case he got himself into a situation like the one with Chloe last time he drank. His cell phone vibrated, letting him know he'd just received a text. It was from Teresa.

"_I know ur not up yet, but omg, guess who we just saw!! I swear, saawwearrr we just saw Jesse mccartney!!! Wat r u doing today? OmGOD! Beth is following him!! Im going with her. Ack haha luv u"_

Bradin frowned. How cute. _"Fun."_ He sent back. Little bitch, she wasn't doing this without a counter attack. _"Wat do u think im doing?"_

"_Ur up? I dk wat ur doing, thats why i asked, silly."_ Came Teresa's response.

"_Im sure ull find out about it, have fun."_ Bradin was being awful, he knew, but he didn't honestly give a damn. He sent a text to Lucas, _"About tonite, im there."_

"Wat r u saying, brae?"

He didn't reply. He didn't care anymore. He stood up and kicked at the sand.

"_Brae?"_ Another text. Teresa was obviously baffled and maybe even a little upset at the sounds of things. After all "I'm sure you'll find out about it." indicated it couldn't be good. He still didn't care, that had kind of been the idea.

"_Bradin!!?"_

Give it a rest, would she. He started walking back towards his house, his hands shoved in his pockets. It was still dark out, it was only about quarter after six. Nobody was up at his house and he was disgusted.

His phone vibrated. This time with a call. It was Teresa. How surprising. He rejected it. She called again, he hit 7 again. She texted again, _"BRADIN WESTERLY!!"_ and again he ignored it.

He reached his house only to find that his aunt had Johnny posted as a guard and that he wasn't going to be let back in the house until that afternoon. He cursed and sat down on the steps to the front door.

"Everything okay, mate?" Jay asked, standing above and behind him two steps higher, Bradin being on the very bottom one. Hey, there were only four to begin with.

"Yeah, sure, whatever."

"Doesn't sound like it."

"Lay off, Jay." Bradin said irritably, standing up. His damn phone was going off again. He looked at it. _Teresa_. Of course. And a new text too! From guess who!! Teresa.

He opened it. _"Bradin Matthew Westerly. What are you doing? Why won't you answer your phone!? Did it like, suddenly die? I don't think so, it's not even 7 in the morning!! Bradin, please, please just answer the phone. I don't understand what I did... what happened?"_

Hmm, she spelled everything out. Must have wanted to really get the message across. Well she did. And he still didn't care. He closed the phone.

"You seem pissed." Jay stated from behind Bradin.

Bradin whirled around. "That's cause I _am_ pissed! What do you want?!" he yelled.

"Whooaaa, sorry." Jay backed up towards the door. "Didn't realize fire breathing dragons still existed... thought they were reserved for the fairytales."

"Jay... I'm gonna kill you." Bradin growled, being extremely not in the mood for jokes.

"Not if I slay you first!" Jay swooped his hand like he had a sword and was a knight of olden times, set out to slay the mighty dragon for the Princess's hand. He started laughing but coughed on it and sobered immediately, seeing as how Bradin didn't think it was funny.

"What do you want?"

"Nothing, nothing. I don't want anything..." Jay stared at Bradin. "What's going on with you?"

"Nothing. I'm going to Lucas's." He turned around and walked off, leaving Jay scratching his head.

­---

"What is his deal!?" Teresa Coleman exclaimed, trying to catch up with her best friend, Bethany Miller, who was chasing after somebody she was sure was Jesse McCartney.

"Hurry, Reese!!" Bethany called over her shoulder. Teresa ran up to her friend's side. The two were now standing outside of a small, old fashioned diner. Once Teresa had gotten to Bethany's side, she started to talk again but Bethany grabbed her arm and pointed into the restaurant.

"Damn, it _is_ him!!" Teresa's eyes were wide.

"Eeep, I know!!" Bethany screeched.

"Did you just 'eep'?" Teresa laughed out loud. "Lilly Truscott!!" she laughed some more.

"Okay, Miss Smarty Pants, I'm about to laugh at you for watching- no, for even _knowing_ what 'Hannah Montana' is!!" Bethany countered. Teresa stopped laughing. "It's a funny show!!" she argued.

"Then I can 'eep.' Now come on!" Bethany grabbed her friend's arm and the two of them walked nonchalantly into the diner.

Jesse was sitting at one of the barstools that lined the counter, his elbow on the counter, his head leaning on his hand. Bethany grinned mischievously at Teresa and Teresa figured there was about to be trouble. A feeling she hadn't felt in almost a year came rushing back through her veins.

"Beth, what are you about to do??" Teresa whispered hoarsely. Bethany could get extremely crazy.

"Oh... you'll see." Bethany strolled up to the counter and ordered a milkshake. She sat down a seat over from Jesse. "Reese, come sit down, girl!!" Bethany called, turning around on her stool and jerking her head to the empty seat between herself and the teenage star.

"Oh, God..." Teresa whispered under her breath but came up and plopped down on the stool, leaning both her arms on the counter. In her peripheral vision she caught Jesse looking at them. She turned her head to the left and he smiled and looked back ahead.

"What's your name?" Bethany asked over Teresa's head.

"Uh..." Jesse looked at her quizzically. "I don't give out my name to strangers..." he said cautiously.

"Oh, come on! I'm Bethany and this is my best friend, Teresa! And honestly, I think you're hot and if you're not doing anything tonight..."

Jesse laughed, thoroughly amused. "Right... I'll remember that."

"Well are you?"

"Uh... yeah, kind of."

"What are you doing?"

"My girlfriend." Jesse tried not to laugh.

Teresa choked on the milkshake she'd "stolen" from Bethany.

"Damn, skip her and meet up with me. I promise you won't regret it." Bethany said flirtatiously.

Teresa choked again.

"Sorry, can't do that."

"Come on..." Bethany pressed.

"Look, I'm sure you're a great girl but like I said, I've got a girlfriend." Jesse said seriously.

"I know that." Bethany broke out in a grin. "And I know who you are!" she poked Teresa in the side.

"We loveeee your music!" Teresa spoke up, finally looking over at Jesse.

"Ah." Jesse half nodded, smiling.

"Soooo.... can we get your autograph and a picture?" Teresa asked hopefully, biting her lower lip.

"Sure thing." Jesse said easily, standing up.

Teresa asked the waitress, a slim blonde in her late teens, if she would take the picture and she agreed. Bethany and Teresa came over to Jesse, wrapped their arms around him as he did the same and they all smiled. After that Jesse signed a napkin to each of them and sat back down as the waitress set down the food he'd ordered. Teresa and Bethany thanked him and told him again how much they loved him then sat down a few places away at the counter, letting him eat with a little peace. They ordered burgers, milkshakes, strawberry for Teresa, vanilla for Bethany, and a fry to share. While they waited for their food Teresa ranted to Bethany.

"So why won't he answer his phone all of a sudden!?" Teresa exclaimed angrily.

"Who?"

"My dumb ass boyfriend." Teresa grumbled.

"Boyfriend? I thought he was your-"

"Right, right. But why won't he!??"

"I don't know... Did you make him mad? Maybe he's not up."

"No, we were texting a little while ago." Teresa argued.

"What did you guys say?" Bethany asked, taking a sip from the milkshake she had first ordered, which Teresa had nearly polished off.

"Um... lots of stuff."

"Like what _exactly_?" Bethany clarified.

"Like I told him we saw Jesse and that you were following him and he was like, 'fun' and I was like, 'you're up, what are you doing today?' and he said something really weird."

"What'd he say?"

"He asked what I thought he was doing and I said I didn't know and that that was why I had asked and he said he was sure I'd 'find out about it' whatever that means." Teresa bit her right thumbnail.

"Uh oh."

"What's uh oh?" Teresa asked, turning and looking straight at Bethany, who was still looking ahead.

"It's just uh oh... it's nothing. I don't know." Bethany shrugged, turning to face Teresa.

"Why'd you say it then!?" Teresa exclaimed.

"Reese..." Bethany pushed a few strands of hair out of her best friend's face. "Don't worry, I'm sure he's not gonna do anything stupid, I mean, what would he do?"

"I don't know.. but I worry about him, you know, cause of everything I told you about?"

Bethany nodded. "Yeah... how is he about all that anyway?"

"He doesn't talk about it."

"Ever?"

Teresa shook her head. "No, not really."

"Oh. Well, still, what's that got to do with "you'll find out about it' anyway?" Bethany asked, imitating a guys voice when she quoted Bradin.

"I don't know... why is he so pissed at me today though?"

"Cause you were chasing an incredibly hot guy maybe?" Bethany teased. Teresa hit her arm, "I was not. _You_ were. And anyway, Bradin doesn't get pissed about that... he gets upset with me cause I cheated on him, you know?"

"Yeah..."

The waitress set down their food at this moment, briefly interrupting the conversation.

"Well why don't you try calling him one more time?" Bethany suggested, after thanking the waitress.

Teresa took a deep breath. "Okay." She pressed Bradin's stored number and waited.

"And put it on speaker so I can hear." Bethany grinned.

Teresa glared but did it anyway. Hey, it was easier then repeating the whole conversation! The phone rang once... twice... three times. She was just about to shut her phone when a semi deep, male voice came over the line.

"Yo?"

"Um.. is Bradin there?" Teresa knew her fiancé's voice and that certainly wasn't it.

"I... uh... probably... I think he's asleep."

"Huh?" Teresa was confused.

"Hold on, never mind, he's over there- ouch! Sorry. Tripped..."

Teresa smiled. Lucas.

"Bradin! Your girl."

Teresa was sure she heard Bradin mumble "Dude, don't answer my phone!" to Lucas before he spoke into the phone. "What?"

"Hello to you too­-"

"What do you want?" Bradin was definitely not in a good mood. Usually though, he would tell her why. But this time, she had the feeling she was the cause, no matter how inadvertently.

"Uh.. to know what the hell is up with you, that's what." Teresa didn't get mad, but she wasn't happy either. Bethany shoved a fry into her mouth, listening to the conversation and staring at Jesse McCartney who had finished eating and was now just sitting there with a smile on his face, apparently texting someone back and forth. Probably his girlfriend...

"Absolutely nothing." Bradin stated plainly.

There was silence for a second and Teresa clearly heard Lucas say from the background, in a high female voice like a "classic" grandmother's, "Young man, you're _lying_..." and then, "Shit, Bradin... that hurt!! What's your deal!?" This time in his real voice.

"Did you just hit him?" Teresa was amused.

"No, I threw a book at him." Bradin said flatly.

"Okay... why?"

"Cause he's a – what the- hey! Fuck you, Lucas - dumb ass." Bradin said, pausing in the middle to yell at Lucas, who had apparently thrown the book back and was laughing.

"How so?" Teresa asked, trying not to laugh as she heard Lucas emit a string of obscenities followed by, "Alright, alright! Damnnnn... How many damn books are over there!?"

"He just is." Teresa could tell Bradin was frowning and wanted to get off the phone with her but wasn't going to just hang up.

"So you're obviously pissed off at me. Can I ask why?"

"Teresa, if you can't see why, I don't know why you're going out with him!!" Lucas, yelled, laughed and a door slammed followed by a thud then Lucas's voice, muffled, "Ha! Missed me." So apparently she was on speaker there too...

"Dumb ass..." Bradin mumbled. "Who said I was pissed at you?"

"Oh, please. And what did Lucas just say that for?"

"Ask him, not me. I didn't say it, he did. How should I know-"

"I get it!" Teresa interrupted.

"Good. That's one thing." Bradin mumbled.

"What?"

"Nothing."

"What is _up_ with you!? Teresa said angrily. Bethany patted her arm, mouthing, calm down.

"YOU are! Damn it, Teresa, why don't you just forget it, okay?" Bradin sounded wary.

"I'm what's up with you?! How can that be, I'm in LA!!" Teresa was frustrated.

"Exactly." Bradin sighed. "I gotta go-"

"Wait! What do you mean, Brae?"

Bradin groaned. "Nothing... I don't mean anything. But you've got about a week to wake up before I'm through with this. I'm done chasing you, Teresa. I'm starting to wonder what we ever had." Teresa's eyes filled with tears. "I mean, every relationship has its rough patches but this is damn ridiculous." Bradin paused. Teresa could tell he was probably thinking.

Teresa didn't say anything and he continued, speaking softly.

"I was thinking about the conversation we had on the beach the night before you left... And maybe we should've left it alone..." Again he paused. This time, Teresa could tell, he was waiting for her to say something. But she didn't.

"Reese, I swear if you're crying I'm gonna shoot myself."

She hadn't been crying but that sent her over the edge, tears spilled from her eyes. "I'll call you t- tonight." SHIT. She hadn't meant to let him know she was starting to cry.

"No, I don't want you to go while you're upset." Bradin said seriously.

"Bradin?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you love me?"

There was silence and a door slammed yet again, followed by Lucas's voice.

"My mom made breakfast if you're... I'll go." The door slammed again.

"I love you." Bradin's voice was strong and sure.

More tears ran down her cheeks. Teresa realized Bethany was rubbing her arm and, surprisingly, keeping her mouth shut.

"But you don't trust me, do you?"

"I already answered that." Bradin avoided having to say it again.

"I need to hear it again."

"Why, Reese? You know what I said."

"I just do. Do you trust me?" Teresa asked seriously, masking her tears for that one sentence.

"Not like I should." Bradin said, bluntly.

"Do you want to break it off?" Teresa wanted to kick herself for asking that.

Silence flooded Teresa's ears from the other end of the phone connection. It took all she had for her not to burst out, "Bradin, _please_ don't say you do!!!" but she didn't say it. She just waited. Bethany crunched French fries and Teresa wanted to slap her cause it made it seem like a movie and not real life. She still waited. After what seemed like a minute but was probably only 20 seconds, Bradin's voice replied, warily. "No."

Relief washed over Teresa and she didn't say anything for fear she'd start crying again. She wished he were there to hold her right now...

"Why did you ask that? Do _you_?" Bradin asked suddenly.

"Huh?" Teresa had been lost in thought. "Oh... I only asked cause... well, I don't know." She admitted, feeling stupid.

"You didn't answer me."

"No," Teresa realized she, indeed, _hadn't _answered him. "I don't."

"Well I do have to go..."

"What did all those texts mean a little while ago?" Teresa wasn't letting him go that easy.

"What- oh. Not shit." Bradin grumbled. "I was mad."

"I figured you were mad but just what am I going to 'find out about'?" Teresa asked, the sentence still bothering her.

"Nothing..."

"Are you sure?"

"No, I'm not sure. I don't know... But I do know that I have to get off the phone and that, though I do love you and don't want to end this, you're not helping any!" Bradin exclaimed. "Teresa, it takes two to build a relationship... a healthy one anyway, and lately, you haven't been a part of ours. So I don't know anymore..."

"Don't know what!?" Teresa exclaimed back. "Just cause I've been busy, you're gonna give up on us!?"

"It's been more then you just 'being busy...' It's like you don't even care. After all the shit we've been through, I'd think it would mean a little bit more to you then it seems to..." Bradin really didn't know what was up with him... he was tired, he was mad, he hated that his parents were dead and it was his 18th birthday and his damn fiancée didn't even seem to know that little fact. And honestly, he wouldn't have cared if it wasn't his 18th. But it was...

"God, Bradin! I _do_ care!!!" Teresa yelled. "Are you crazy or something!? Do you think I don't give a damn about our relationship?? What is going on with you!?" Teresa stopped yelling, she realized Bethany was rubbing her back whispering, "Shhh... Reese, calm down..."

"I can't do this right now..." Bradin hung up the phone. Teresa whimpered then groaned, willing herself not to cry. "OH MY GOD... I know he did not just hang up on me in the middle of that..." she frowned, turning to Bethany.

Bethany wrinkled her face. "French fry?" she offered, nervously.

"What is his damn deal!??!" Teresa exclaimed, snatching the French fry from her friend's hand and ripping half of it off in her mouth.

"I think I'm the problem..." Bethany said quietly.

"What!? What are you talking about, Beth?" Teresa really didn't know why she would say that.

"Because, ever since I showed up, you and Bradin haven't had like, _any_ alone time and I'm thinking maybe he's just frustrated that you're always with me." Bethany answered.

"But you're my _best_ friend. He knows that. And he knows I have seen you in ages!"

"But surely you could find time for him too... I think he's just frustrated with the whole thing.. plus the cheating and the fighting and... I don't know. Maybe I'm just nuts... I don't even know." Bethany said sadly. "I feel awful if it's me though... cause you guys seemed sooooo happy together whenever I'd catch you on the phone when he was with you or when you'd talk to me about him or just... whatever. You know, pictures and stories and all that. You seemed so happy! But since I got here... I don't see that anymore." The 16-year-old said quietly.

All at once something clicked inside Teresa head. "Shit..." she muttered.

"What?" Bethany asked, chewing nervously on a fry.

"Beth... it isn't you. And if it has anything to do _with _you, it's still me cause I'm the one who's been ignoring him." Teresa said softly. "And I have been ignoring him... I just realized something."

"What?"

"Today's his birthday."

"I thought only girls got pissed about that?" Bethany halfway laughed.

Teresa rolled her eyes. "He's turning 18! I mean, come on, that's supposed to mean _something_, right? Besides, all guys are like that, they just won't admit it. _And_, girls are so awesome, we never forget their birthday to begin with. So in order to maintain some weird male ego thing, they have to act like they wouldn't have cared if we had."

"Ha, ha, ha, ha!" Bethany started laughing cause it was too true.

"You know, I'll deny I ever said this, but I would be pretty upset if my girlfriend forgot my 18th too..."

Bethany and Teresa jerked their heads up to find Jesse McCartney standing behind them.

"You were listening to us?" Bethany asked incredulously.

"You were practically shouting!" Jesse laughed. "So I wouldn't call it _listening_ to you... just _hearing_ you."

"Nice one...," Bethany rolled her eyes.

"Either way, that's my two cents. And it was nice meeting you girls."

"It was awesome meeting you..." Bethany smiled and Teresa nodded vigorously.

"Hey, what should I do? I'm like, supposed to be his fiancée and I go and forget his 18th birthday to go to LA with my BFF and meet this major hot guy while I'm there and then, said guy overhears my fight with said fiancé and tells me he'd be upset too..." Teresa laughed before continuing. "What would make it up to you? Being as how you're a guy and all, you should know, right?"

"Honestly?"

"Yes..." Teresa started slowly. "But if you say, 'go home and have sex with him,' I'll get up and kick your ass." She giggled.

Jesse shook his head, "Damn, can't help you then." And pretended to walk off.

"Hey!!" Teresa half yelled.

Jesse turned around and laughed, "Actually, I think I was gonna say, 'go home and let him know you love him.' However you have to do that, I don't care, just don't tell me about it."

This earned him laughs from Bethany and Teresa.

He smiled. "But I do have to go. Interview... like I haven't done one of those before..." he rolled his eyes. "Maybe I'll see guys sometime in the future. Thanks for being a fan either way though."

"Hope we see you too!!" Bethany exclaimed. "And you're welcome!"

"We'll always be fans!" Teresa added.

Jesse put his hands together, as though praying, and bowed his head slightly at them. "Peace."

They smiled and nodded. "Peace!" Bethany. "Bya!" Teresa.

After Jesse had left the diner and disappeared into a black Mustang that must have been waiting for him at the curb, Teresa whirled her stool back to face Bethany. "Okay, show him I love him. Which is what I would've done anyway... how?"

"Uh... how 'bout what you told Jesse not to say!!" Bethany laughed as Teresa slapped her arm.

"Come on, be serious, Beth."

"I was!!" Bethany giggled.

"No, you were not. Not seriously, what?" Teresa asked, truly wanting to figure something out.

"Uh.. you're his fiancée, I'm sure you'd know this a lot better then I would." Bethany answered, taking a bite of her burger, which was now cold since she'd let it just sit there during the whole phone conversation between Teresa and Bradin.

"Well for one thing, I need to fly home... right now." Teresa said.

"Awe, girl!! That suuuck- is such a great idea!" Bethany changed what she'd been about to say and smiled widely. "Come on, let's head back to the hotel and tell my mom!"

"Okay." Teresa paid for their food, though they didn't actually eat much of it, and the two teens headed out into the bustling world of Los Angeles, California.

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**There it be! PLEASE review. I'm sorry I won't be back for possibly two weeks. Or possibly quicker. I really don't know yet, so just expect long and hope for short! Lol I love you guys, talk to you next chapter!!**

_Xoxo,  
Anna Christie_


	26. 25: Pretty Much Screwed

**Yep, still don't own Summerland.**

**Hey, guys. I am incredibly sorry for the delay in updating this. Blame my lack of internet for the past four dang weeks. I'm super sorry but here it is and I just hope you're all still reading.**

**froggy2045**, I'll PM you the link to watch Keith. Thank you for the review! I hope you like where I'm taking this story.

**SoMuch4MyHappyEnding**, thank you, girl! Yeah, perfectly okay for you to be completely annoyed with Teresa right now. Haha I think you'll keep being annoyed with her... but that's all I'll say, read on! Yeah, it's not healthy for their relationship at all... it builds doubts, but you'll just have to read to see where those doubts take them. I hope you like it! "**But dude, i can't wait to see how Teresa's gonna show Bradin she "loves him." :D Totally looking forward to that part!**" Sorry, you might be disappointed, but I do hope you like what I did! (Lol, update your email address on here then. That way you can get the author alert emails...? Just a suggestion! Haha)

**Ash Riley**, thickening plots are so fun, I hope you like how this chapter turns out. And thanks so much! I'm glad you think I'm doing well with showing the conflict. It's always nice to hear that you're writing something well! Annnddd Glad you liked the cameo! I had to, lol. (PS you know, you never did reply to my PM... haha)

**6Ellie6**, oh, Bradin's pissed. Don't worry about that. I just hope you like the turn this chapter's going to take. Haha (I dk, haha, but I had to do a cameo, glad you liked it.) I'm sorry this wasn't shortly, but hopefully the next one WILL be.) Enjoy the chapter!

**acciodanrad9**, yeah... and you should be worried what state Bradin's in when she gets there! Haha I'm super glad you liked the last chapter and I hope you like this one too!! =)

**angel_prncess_18**, lol thanks, glad you liked the cameo! Oh... you'll see what she's gonna do... IN THIS CHAPTER! lol Enjoy! (Yeah, I know. I'll have to get A Walk To Remember)

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**Chapter XXV**

**_Pretty Much Screwed_**

Bradin hung up on Teresa and fell back on Lucas's bed. After a while Lucas came back in the room and saw him. He leaned against his door thinking Bradin might be asleep because his eyes were closed. But Bradin opened them for a second and glanced at Lucas, then closed them again.

"You and Teresa on the rocks?" Lucas asked cautiously, halfway expecting Bradin to blow up at him for saying it. He'd been temperamental lately...

Bradin just nodded with his eyes shut.

"Come get drunk tonight, let it all go." Lucas said, wanting to get his friend back to his usual cheerful self.

Bradin shook his head, his eyes still shut.

"Why not? It'd be fun. You said you were coming to the party tonight anyway, right? So get wasted, who's gonna care?"

Bradin rolled onto his side so his back was to Lucas. He stared out Lucas's window into the ocean. "I can't do that..."

"Why?" Lucas was genuinely curious.

"Cause I told Teresa I wouldn't get drunk anymore... Cause I almost cheated last time I did." Bradin said quietly.

"I thought you said she cheated on you, man."

"She did... so what?" Bradin fell back onto his back, turning his head to look at Lucas.

"Well..." Lucas shrugged. "Why can't you? She's not even here? And besides, you don't have to cheat on her! Just come and have fun."

"I know myself, Luc... I'd cheat on her." Bradin shut his eyes once more.

"Whatever, dude... I don't think so. What if I make sure you don't 'disappear' with anyone?"

"How are you gonna do that? You're worse then I am!" Bradin laughed, his eyes still closed.

"I don't know... I'll find a way. But you gotta come." Lucas insisted.

"I'm not."

"Yeah, actually, you are. It starts at 8, but get there are 4."

"What the hell for?"

Lucas just shrugged. "That's when everybody's getting there."

"Then why not say it starts-" Bradin started to ask why they didn't just say it started at four but Lucas cut him off saying, "I'll see you then." With that, he ended the conversation by changing the subject. "Now get out of my house! I've got crap to do before I leave this afternoon and my mom's all on my ass." The teen laughed.

"You're kicking me out? Seriously?" Bradin asked, cracking his eyes halfway open to look at Lucas. The 17-year-old just nodded.

"Nice. Where am I supposed to go?? My aunt already kicked me out of my house..." Bradin complained.

"Sit on the beach, go surf! You do this every day... how should I know! I just know my mom's getting further pissed by the second so you gotta go. Out. Now." Lucas ushered Bradin out his door and shut it behind the freshly-turned-18-year-old. Bradin sighed and headed downstairs and out of the Freeman's home.

---

"I am _so _not wanting to do this." Teresa Coleman groaned into her phone as she stepped off the plane she'd just taken from Los Angeles to Play Linda, California and headed for the terminal, the heels of her black, ankle boots clacking on the pavement as she walked.

"But you have to, Honey..." Bethany spoke into her end of the phone from LA.

"I know... But what if he won't listen to me!?" Teresa fretted as she walked through the airport terminal on her way to claim her luggage.

"I'm sure he'll listen to you..." Bethany laughed suddenly. "Reese, you're gonna worry yourself sick if you don't stop and just go get it over with! Now go!"

Teresa smiled. "You said that a little prematurely, you know. I'm not that worried yet."

"I know but I thought I'd go ahead and say it... you know, save you, and me, the trouble of going through it by cutting it short..." Bethany giggled. "Plus, I have to get off the phone..." she added and Teresa knew she was cringing.

"Ugh!! Fine... I love you, girl! And thanks, by the way."

"Of course! I love you too! And expect a call from me tonight to see how it all went!!" Bethany exclaimed.

"I will. Oh, there's my mom, talk to you later!" Teresa waved to her mother as she spoke.

"Bye!"

Flipping her phone closed, she slipped it into her purse and hugged her mother who had come to pick her up.

After leaving the airport, Teresa settled into the passenger seat and smiled.

"So, how'd the job interview go Wednesday, Mama?"

"Wonderful! I just got the call back from Mr. Landers and I got the job!!" Karen glanced at her daughter, her face a wide smile.

"Ahh, that's awesome, Mama!!" Teresa side hugged her mother. Her mother had applied to be secretary at a local law firm.

"So why'd you come back early again?" Karen asked, her attention again focused on the road.

"Today's Brae's birthday... I kinda had totally forgotten it. And I don't know if that's why he's mad today but I figured... well, I just needed to come back, you know?" Teresa didn't want to reveal the details of her recent conversations with Bradin.

"Are you two doing okay, Sweetheart?" Karen asked softly.

Teresa rolled her eyes in exasperation. Leave it to her mother to pick up on the fact that something was going on with her and Bradin when she hadn't even said a word. "Kinda... kinda not... I don't really know." She admitted.

"You wanna tell me what's been going on?"

As much as Teresa _did_ want to tell her mother what was going on, she couldn't tell her any of it. Because, to tell her some of it, she'd have to explain all of it and she couldn't do that... that would involve mentioning that she'd cheated on Bradin... And she wasn't even certain her mother knew she wasn't still a virgin. "Um... not really..." Teresa wasn't quite sure how to get out of it.

"Well... If you need to talk to me, I'm always right here, okay, Sweetheart?" Karen spoke gently, but seriously, to her daughter.

Teresa nodded. "Okay..." She said quietly, turning her head to the right and staring out at the passing scenery. It was only a little after 12 noon and heat waves shimmered on the hot road before them. Teresa was suddenly thankful for the working air conditioner in her mother's car.

"Can you believe it's been a whole _year_ since I met Bradin? Well... almost a year." Teresa asked after a minute of silence.

"No, I can't... It just seems like he's been a part of our lives forever now." Karen smiled. "He's a good boy, Teresa... if you're teasing him, you better stop and get a grip on things cause he's one of those boys who only comes along once in a blue moon and you don't want him to be the one that got away... or rather, the one you _let_ get away."

Teresa looked quickly at her mother. Had she _really_ just said that to her!? Her mother?? "What do you mean?" she frowned.

Her mother, still looking at the road, didn't answer.

"I'm serious! What do you mean by that?" Teresa was trying not to let her emotions get the best of her so instead of letting herself sound upset, which she was, she sounded pissed.

Karen shrugged. "I'm sure you don't know I know but I know."

"You know _what_??" Teresa almost laughed.

"That for the past 3 years, only pausing for about 7 months after your father and Matt died, you've been a little on the wild side... and a bit of a tease. Ever since you and Carl broke up, you've been that way." Karen said calmly.

"Mama!" Her mother was betraying her.

"Sweetheart, I love you. I'm not trying to hurt you at all..." Karen looked at her daughter as she brought the car to a stop at a red light. "I just want you to make the right decisions and not lose something special. Does that make any sense?"

Teresa couldn't help it, tears found their way to her eyes but they stopped there. She frowned deeply. "You think I'm teasing Bradin??"

"No... but I know I haven't seen much of him around lately... And when I have, he doesn't seem as happy as he once was when you two would be together..." Karen paused but went on cautiously, "And you always seem to be doing something else and not paying attention to him. Or not like you used to anyway, Sweetie... And now, hearing that you two maybe haven't been getting along as great as you could, I just wonder if everything I tried to brush off, was right in the first place."

"What did you try to brush off?" Teresa asked quietly.

"That you were developing a habit of teasing boys..." Karen said quietly.

Okay, first Bethany, and now her mother, had called her a tease! Was she really a tease?? She thought back to some past relationships... She realized their weren't any between Carl and Bradin. Only flirting and leading on and then dropping the idea. With the exception of Tony and they barely acted like boyfriend/girlfriend anyway. She pressed her lips together, tears falling from her eyes. She had only had one other relationship before Carl and that was with a boy named Jaden Andrews... in 7th grade. She didn't remember much about it but she clearly remembered that she definitely hadn't teased him. She didn't tease Carl either... it was only after he left her that she turned to never really entering a relationship. She realized all of a sudden that she never _meant _to tease any of those boys between Carl and Bradin... she would think she was okay with going back into another relationship and then chicken out then decide she was okay again but, again, chicken out until finally the guy would get tired of chasing her.

"_I'm done chasing you, Teresa."_ Bradin's words rang through her head and she started crying. The next thing she knew, her mother had pulled into their driveway, turned off the car and wrapped her arms around Teresa, stroking her hair. "Oh, honey... I didn't mean to upset you like this..."

"Mama... I never meant to hurt them!" Teresa cried harder.

"Hurt who?"

"Those boys... I never meant to be a tease.. I never... It was just- it was..." Teresa sobbed loudly.

"What is it, Sweetie?" Instead of getting an answer she got harder crying. Karen comforted her daughter until she had calmed down considerably. "Tell me what's going on." Karen said it so that it wasn't an order, but a strong suggestion."

"I can't tell you... you'll hate me." Teresa dropped her face, she didn't want to look her mother in eye right now.

"I could never, ever, _ever_ hate you, Teresa." Karen lifted her daughter's face. "You're my daughter, my baby. I love you."

"Mama, I only flirted and moved on like I did because I was afraid of getting in another relationship after Carl..."

"Did Carl hurt you?" Karen asked seriously.

Teresa shook her head. What was she doing!? She couldn't tell her mother this. She got out of the car followed by her mother.

"Why were you afraid of getting into another relationship, Sweetheart?" Karen asked, following her daughter as Teresa walked towards her own car, her purse over her shoulder.

Teresa whirled and screamed at her mother. "Because Carl got me pregnant!!!"

Karen's face went white and she stopped dead in her tracks.

Teresa went on screaming, "And then he told me to have an abortion and that he'd be there!!! He told me he'd fucking be there and I never saw his stupid ass ever again!!! I never wanted anything like that to happen to me again so I guess I'm just screwed cause now I'm afraid of commitment or some stupid crap like that!!" Tears ran freely down her cheeks, splashing to the ground. She didn't even know what she was saying anymore.

Karen opened her mouth to say something but nothing came out.

"I love Bradin though, Mama. I love the hell out of him and I can't stand that I keep hurting him and yet, I do it anyway! I've cheated on him twice now... fucking twice and he's still with me!! I don't even deserve what he's given me... I... I-" Teresa choked on her tears and flew to her car, jumped in and backed out, speeding away from her house leaving her mother standing in the front yard in shock.

---

"Ooh... sexy, Baby!!!!" Somebody shouted and laughter echoed off the walls of Joey Marvin's apartment as two girls got up and danced to some song with a fast beat.

Though Joey was 18 and had held a steady job over the summer, he was going back to school Tuesday. He had thought he was going to just drop out but his older brother, by 2 years, who had just moved to Playa Linda, needed a place to live and Joey really did want to finish school so he was going to room with Joey and pay half the rent. That way Joey could give up his full time job for an after school job, thus being able to go back for his senior year. Joey had moved out of his house because both his parents were drunks and he just couldn't stand being there so much that he was willing to give up graduating high school to move. He was glad his brother was going to be living there now though, that way he could finish school, not work so much _and_ get to spend time with his brother, who he'd always been close to but hadn't gotten to see in person in about 2 years.

"What the hell are you doing!?" Joey laughed at a girl named Sherry as she pulled her T shirt up, flashing him and a few other guys. She just giggled and plopped down on one of the guy's lap, kissing him on the neck. She was definitely drunk, Joey decided, standing up and moving across the room to find his friends Bradin and Lucas. They were in the middle of a contest to see who could down three bottles of beer the fastest. Joey stood back and watched. Lucas won by a second and clapped Bradin on the shoulder, slurring out, "Nice try, bro." He shook his head. "Woo!! Here, Joey." He handed Joey the empty bottle as he passed him by, going after a cute redhead.

"You drunk, man?" Joey asked, walking up to Bradin. Bradin shook his head. "Not yet..." he took the last swig of his contest beer and added. "But I will be...soon."

Joey laughed, "I can't believe how fast everybody's gotten drunk here tonight... The party's only been going about 6 hours and the alcohol's only been here for 2 of those but most of 'em are already wasted."

"Messed up, Joey... messed up." Bradin corrected, grabbing a can of beer from a cooler. "Wasted won't come for about another 2 hours." He laughed and took a swig of beer. "That girl is getting hotter by the second..." he said, staring down a tall, skinny girl with jet black hair who was standing among three other hot girls, laughing and drinking.

"She's been hot all day..." Joey said, glancing at the girl Bradin was staring at. She was a beauty, her body curving in all the right places. The kind of girl that could have a whole room staring at her... and probably did.

"What's her name?"

Joey shrugged. "No clue... You're with somebody though.... aren't you?"

Bradin frowned and gulped down more of his beer. "I don't fucking give a damn..."

"Right... cause you only cuss like that when you're not trying to hide that you _do_ care." Joey, who knew Bradin just a little too well by now, stated the truth. Bradin groaned. "Leave me alone, man... it's _my _damn birthday... Maybe I wanna have a little fun while my stupid girl's in Los Angeles..."

"Whoa... she must have _really_ pissed you off." Joey noted that Bradin had just called Teresa stupid. He would have beat the crap out of anybody else who did that. Bradin took another drink. "Just fuck off!"

"Alright, alright, chilllll..." Joey held up his hands in surrender. "But before Lucas got drunk he said you didn't want to do anything with a girl tonight and to keep an eye on you since I wasn't drinking much."

"Well this is meand _I'm _telling you to lay off. " Bradin frowned. Things were starting to look a little weird... and he was feeling a little bit too "friendly" right about now.

"No, _you're_ not saying that. Drunk you is saying that."

"It's hot in here..." Bradin mumbled, ignoring what Joey had just said and finishing off the can of beer in his hand. He left it on the counter and patted Joey on the back. "See that girl over there?" he pointed to a skinny blonde sitting by herself looking at her cell phone. "I'm thinking she's a little lonely..." he raised his eyebrows, hinting that Joey should go over and talk to her. "I'll catch you later." With that, Bradin headed over to the girl he'd been staring at for the past 5 minutes, leaving Joey sighing and shaking his head with a nervous frown on his face. He felt like Bradin was about to make a huge mistake..

---

The time was 9:30pm and Teresa had been driving aimlessly around the city of Playa Linda since about one that afternoon. She'd stopped for an hour or so at a few places but for the most part, she'd just been driving, crying and trying to watch the road. She needed to talk to Bradin... she needed him to hold her. She needed to go back home and have her mother hold her. She was scared to do any of these things. She stopped the car at a bowling alley and pulled her phone from her purse. Fourteen missed calls. Her mother six times, Nikki twice, Bethany three, her aunt once, Ava once and Amber Farine once. She also had nine new text messages. Three from her mother, all of them saying something along the lines of what the first one said, which was; _"Teresa, please answer your phone or call me back! I need to know you're okay. Where are you??? Please, Sweetheart, I love you. Please call me back!!!"_

Teresa held back tears and sent one back. _"I'm fine. I'm sorry I didn't answer the phone... I don't wanna talk right now."_ After that she checked the other messages. One from Nikki, _"Reese, your mom's looking for you. Girl, she's worried stupid, call her!! And what's going on?"_ One from Amber, _"Hey, your mom called here looking for you. Yay! You're back in town! But your mom sounded worried, everything ok?"_ Three from Bethany saying several things. The first one said _"Your mom called me looking for you. She said you guys got in an argument or something? Call her." _The second one, sent about 30 seconds later, _"And call me, I'm worried about you."_ And the third one, sent about 5 minutes ago, _"REESE!! WHERE ARE YOU???? Nobody knows where you are and we're soooo worried. Call me now, bitch. I love you!!!"_ And, lastly, one from Ava, _"Sweetie, your mother's worried about you... she said she doesn't know where you are. Give somebody a call ok? And.. you haven't by chance seen Bradin have you?"_

First, Teresa sent Bethany a text back, "I'm fine, damnit. I'll call you later, I don't feel like talking." Next, she called Ava.

"Hello?" Ava's voice came over the line, there was a rather loud confusion of voices in the background, indicating Ava was in a room full of other people.

"Hey, Ava... it's Teresa."

"Teresa! Sweetie, did you talk to your mom?"

"Uh.. yeah, sorta... But I called to say that I don't know where Bradin is... when's the last time you saw him?"

"I didn't see him actually... Jay saw him last and that was about 7ish this morning. Bradin told him he was going to Lucas's and left. That was fine with us though, cause we were planning a sort of 'surprise party' for him and needed him out of the house. But we tried Lucas's and he's not there. He was though, just not since early this morning according to Lucas's mother."

Teresa frowned. "Okay... I'll call you if I find him, okay?"

"Okay, thanks, honey... Are you sure you talked to your mom?" Ava asked, gently.

Teresa sighed. "I've contacted her. It's fine."

"Where are you?"

"I gotta go." Teresa wasn't meaning to be rude but she wasn't in the greatest of moods right now and learning that Bradin hadn't been seen all day wasn't helping matters. She had the strangest feeling he wasn't doing anything good...

"Okay..." Ava said slowly.

"Bye." Teresa hung up the phone and let out her breath. She called Amber. After 4 rings, Amber picked up, "Yeah?" she half slurred into the phone, giggling at something. Laughter and shouting came from the background.

"Hey, Amber, do you know where Bradin is?"

"Sure, he's at Joey's with the rest of us!" Amber laughed a little too loudly, indicating she'd been drinking. "But hey, is everything alright with you-"

"Yeah, thanks." Teresa hung up before Amber could say more. She frowned. From the background sounds on that conversation, Teresa was sure there was a wild party going on at Joey's... and Bradin was there. Probably getting drunk. Damn that... She started her car and drove to Joey's place, She noted that there seemed to be a lot more cars in the parking lot then usual. Teresa was always amazed what they could get away with at Joey's... Only _once _had they ever been complained on to the police. She guessed that was because most of the residence of the building were druggies and or drunks themselves and they flat sure weren't about to call the cops! Nor did they probably care anyway. Shutting off her car, Teresa got out, locked it, shoved her keys into her pocket and headed towards Joey's building. Upon reaching Joey's door Teresa wasn't surprised to hear dance music blasting from inside. She started to knock, then chided herself that that would be stupid and instead turned the doorknob, letting herself in. She was instantly greeted by a strong smell of alcohol and marijuana. She cringed, she really hated these stupid parties sometimes...

"Keys." A deep male voice droned.

Teresa turned to her right to see a tall guy with deeply tanned skin standing there holding his hand out. He looked extremely bored. "Huh?"

"Keys. Give me your keys." He clarified.

"Oh, I'm not drink-­"

"Joey said to get everybody's keys. And that means you." The guy cut her off.

"But I'm not drink-" Teresa started but was again cut off.

"That's what everybody says. Just give your keys and you can have them back when you leave... _if_ you're sober." He smirked.

"I don't have any keys, I was dropped off." Teresa tried a new approach. She was _not_ getting stuck here should somebody get her keys by mistake.

"Yeah, right. Why were you arguing if you don't have any keys?"

"Look, _dude_, I just need to find my fiancé and I'll be out of here. I'm not drinking." Teresa said, folding her arms across her chest.

"Give me your keys and I'll let you go." The guy went right on insisting.

"Damn it, last time I gave my keys up at a party I wound up having to drive Sarah Sloan's car to her house at 3 in the morning cause _she _had _my_ car! I'm not giving you my damn keys." With that Teresa disappeared into the crowd, the guy shook his head and yelled after her, "It's your funeral."

---

Bradin left Joey's side and walked unsteadily over to the black haired girl he'd been watching half the night. She was gorgeous... or was it her body? Or who really cared, he was drunk... Teresa was in LA... who really gave a damn?? Reaching the girl's side, he touched her on the shoulder making her turn to face him.

"Hello there..." she crooned, looking Bradin over. "What's your name?"

"Bradin." Bradin said, looking her over from feet to head. She was wearing red, stilettos that were strapped like Roman sandals to a little above her ankles, black leggings and a short, red halter dress, if it could even be called a dress. Once his eyes reached her face, he smiled. "Yours?"

"Trinity..."

"Doing anything?"

"Maybe not..." she smiled slyly. Bradin noticed that she turned to one of her girlfriends and gave her a look. The other girl nodded to Trinity and the other two girls and they all moved away, leaving Trinity alone with Bradin, though they were still surrounded by people.

Bradin moved closer to her, putting his hands on her waist. She didn't stop him and he took this as a hint that she wouldn't mind if he went further so he pulled her to himself and kissed her bare shoulder. She sighed and put her hands around his neck, whispering, "We should go somewhere else..." Bradin looked at her and smiled suggestively. He nodded and took her hand, leading her through the party goers and up to Joey's bedroom door. It was locked and Bradin rolled his eyes, annoyed.

"Nobody's in the bathroom..." Trinity commented, hinting. She giggled as Bradin kissed her, pushing her into the bathroom and kicking the door shut behind him.

---

"Hey, is Bradin around here?" Teresa tapped a guy on the shoulder and repeated the question she'd just asked 5 times in a row, this one making 6.

She received the same answer, "Yeah somewhere..." the guy looked her over and she rolled her eyes. That was the 3rd guy to do that... Passing him by she asked a girl who was probably only 14 or 15. "Hey, have you seen Bradin around?"

The girl looked nervous. "Uh... he was with Joey over there a minute ago." She pointed to her left.

"Thanks." Teresa started to walk off but turned back to the girl, "Hey, you alright?"

"I guess... my sister brought me and she said she wasn't gonna get drunk but she's been smoking pot and now she disappeared with some guy..." The girl looked somewhat out of place. Her light black hair was straight, and she wore glasses. Teresa thought she just didn't look the party type.

"You want me to take you home?" Teresa asked.

"Um..." the girl still looked nervous and like she didn't necessarily trust Teresa. "I do wanna go home but I don't really know you... No offense!" she added quickly.

"None taken." Teresa assured the girl. "Do you know Bradin?" she asked.

The girl nodded. "Kinda, yeah. He used to hang around with my sister."

"Well I'm Bradin's fiancée if that helps any." The red-brown haired girl laughed slightly.

"Oh, Teresa?" the girl asked, recognizing the person though she'd never met her before.

"Yep." Teresa smiled.

"Yeah then, if you wouldn't mind taking me home that'd be awesome! I seriously don't belong here..." the girl said.

"I know what you mean..." Teresa looked around the room at the other people their age, most of them Teresa's age though. Unless this girl was older then she seemed.

"I'm Joy by the way." The younger teen smiled.

"Nice to meet you!" Teresa smiled. "Now um... I only came here to find Bradin, then I'm outa' here!"

"I'll help you look?"

"Sure, thanks." Teresa and Joy went separate ways, looking for Bradin.

---

"Mmm... stop...." Trinity pushed Bradin away from her slightly. The two were standing in Joey's bathroom heavily making out. Bradin had Trinity pushed against the wall, their bodies pressed closely together, Bradin's hands under Trinity's shirt.

Bradin stopped kissing her, "What?" he asked, looking at her.

"I don't know about this..." Trinity mumbled.

"I do." Bradin went back to kissing her neck and she moaned. After a few more minutes, Bradin had removed her dress and was going for her bra when the door opened. Both teens tore apart quickly and whirled to face the doorway. Trinity scream-gasped, putting her arms around her half naked body and standing sort of behind Bradin to hide herself as she scrambled for her dress on the floor. Bradin's heart almost stopped. He was fucking _screwed_.

---

Teresa was annoyed to say the least. How the hell could nobody know where Bradin was?? This damn apartment only had _four _rooms!!

She tried the bedroom door only to find it was locked. She knocked on it hard and a girl's voice yelled from inside, "Go away!!"

"Who's in there?" Teresa yelled back.

"Just me and my baby, leave us alone!!" the girl yelled again, sounding mad.

"Who??" Teresa persisted.

This time the girl opened the door, "What the hell!??"

"I'm looking for Bradin Westerly." Teresa said, staring the girl down.

"Well he ain't in here, it's just me and Tom, now get lost!" with that she slammed the door. Teresa realized there was only one room she hadn't checked and that was the bathroom. She again looked around the room. Surely she'd see him if he was in the living room or kitchen! Then again, the room was so packed full of people, she could just be missing him over and over again. Maybe he'd left. She figured she might as well check the bathroom, maybe he'd passed out or something if he was drunk. The door was shut but Teresa had long ago learned that, at parties, it was best just to try the doorknob. She opened the door and her mouth fell open slightly, her face tightening into a hurt frown, her heart jumping.

She'd found Bradin alright. But he certainly wasn't passed out... or even taking a crap. He had some girl in his arms who Teresa had never seen before. And what's worse, the girl was hardly dressed. Both of them jerked out of their kiss to look at her. Bradin stared at her, he looked like he didn't know what to do. The girl was trying to put her clothes back on and hide herself behind Bradin at the same time. Teresa shut her mouth, clenched her fists and swallowed.

Taking a menacing step forward so that she was directly in front of him she pulled her ring off her finger, threw it at Bradin and slapped him with her right hand. Hard. "We are _through_!!" She said through gritted teeth, the last word being emphasized to show that she meant it. The party noise died and a murmur arose in its place. There's face was red with anger and she realized she was shaking slightly from the whole thing too. Bradin turned his head only slightly back towards her and just stared, his eyes not revealing anything. Teresa knew he was probably drunk but she didn't care. They were done. This was it. She turned on her heel and ran from the room, pushing people aside as she tried to press through to the crowd to find Joy and get out of there. She could tell Bradin was following her but she didn't turn around to look.

"Teresa, wait!" he shouted after her as she reached the front door. Seeing Joy, she grabbed her hand and ripped the door open. "You ready?" she asked her.

"Yeah." Joy could tell Teresa was angry. "What happened?? Didn't you find him?"

"Oh, I found him." Teresa said grimly, angrily. "Up some girl's ass!" she stormed down the hall, Joy at her heels and towards the stairs. The elevator in this place was unreliable, she remembered.

"Teresa!!" Bradin's voice came from somewhere behind her but she ignored it.

Joy turned around to see Bradin trying to run after them but it was obvious he couldn't really see straight. She turned back forward, stopping just in time to not bump into Teresa, who had come to an abrupt halt. A cop was standing in front of her. "Young lady, did you come from that party back there?"

Teresa shook her head, "I went there to find my fiancé- _ex_-fiancé. I was only there maybe 15 minutes." She answered truthfully.

"And you miss?" he turned to Joy.

"Uh.. my sister was there but- I mean, that is she..." Joy wasn't used to any of this and didn't know what to say.

"Her sister took her saying it was just gonna be a cool little party but it turns out she went off with some guy, leaving Joy alone. So I'm taking us both home." Teresa spoke up.

"Alright, I believe you girls. You better go now." The officer said firmly.

"We are, thank you!" Teresa moved past him and headed down the stairs, Joy following her.

Joy breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh, my God, I thought I was about to be in so much trouble!" she said, lowly as she went downstairs with Teresa at her side.

"Yeah.. me too." Teresa admitted. She knew Bradin was gonna get it... she should probably go back and at least try to help him get out of it but... he kinda fucking deserved it, didn't he!? And besides, what did she care for anymore anyway!?

"What about your boyfriend or whatever he is?" Joy asked.

"He's my ex. And he got himself into it so he can get himself out." Teresa said angrily. By this time the two girls had reached the ground floor and were heading out the building's main door.

"Oh... Damn, my sister's screwed!" Joy laughed. "I told her she shoulda' just gone shopping with me instead... but would she listen? Nooo..." she laughed again, making Teresa laugh.

"So how old are you?" she asked, trying to make conversation and genuinely wondering. She was trying to mask how pissed off and hurt she was... and doing a pretty good job of it. Or at least she thought she was.

"15." Joy said. "I probably seem way younger but it's just that I never do this whole party thing..."

"Nah, you don't... well, maybe a little." Teresa laughed. "But not bad. I think you should meet this girl I know named Nikki. You guys would probably be friends."

"Nikki Westerly, Bradin's sister?" Joy asked.

"Yeah. Why, do you know her?" Teresa asked.

"Kinda... But only at school. I always think she seems like a cool girl but we don't have any classes together or anything... She's kinda more popular then I am." The 15-year-old said.

"Oh... well, I still think you guys should hang out sometime." Teresa shrugged, "But whatever." The two had crossed the parking lot till they made it to Teresa's car. She unlocked the doors and got in the driver's side, Joy getting in the passenger's seat.

Starting the car, Teresa backed out of her parking space and pulled onto the main road. "So where am I taking you?" she asked Joy.

"Oh, I live in Blue Valley Estates. Only they're anything _but_ estates!" Joy laughed. "Do you know where that is?"

"Yeah, that's where my friend Amber lives." Teresa smiled. "I know what you mean. Nice little neighborhood but the name's deceiving."

"Yep."

"So we should hang out sometime." Teresa said.

"Yeah, we should. Where do you live?"

"Right on the beach." Teresa laughed.

"Cool! I'm totally hanging out at your house!" Both girls started laughing at this.

After dropping Joy off at her house and exchanging numbers, Teresa drove to a local all night restaurant. She realized she was starving and hadn't eaten anything since breakfast that morning back in LA, and she hadn't even really eaten any of that!

Shutting off her engine she went in, sat down, ordered a combo meal and again checked her phone. 4 missed calls. Her mother twice, and Bethany twice. 3 texts. Bethany; _"Reese paaahlleeeasse call me!!!"_ Her mother; _"Ok, I believe you're okay but please call me, sweetie."_ And another from her mother, this one having been received only 5 minutes ago. _"Reese, where are you? Are you coming home? Honey, CALL me."_

Teresa sighed and put her phone down on the table top. She was sitting by a window in the back of the dining area. She looked to her left and stared out the window. This restaurant was near the interstate so that it got the business of travelers passing through. Teresa watched as car after car whizzed by outside. For a moment she had the fleeting idea to just get in her car and drive away. But she dismissed it quickly, knowing that would be a bad idea in the long run. A waitress brought her food and drink. Teresa smiled at her and took a bite of the cheeseburger she'd ordered. As she chewed the image of Bradin with the other girl flashed through her mind. She frowned. How _dare_ he cheat on her!! Just cause she had cheated on him and ignored him and gotten mad at him for nothing and forgotten his birthday did NOT mean he could cheat on her... She frowned further, if that was possible, and mentally hit herself in the head. _Teresa Coleman, are you out of your mind!? You just all but "justified" his cheating on you and yet you say it's not excusable. For God's sake, you cheated on him twice, which he has too now, and he forgave you! Besides, you went all the way, sober, for no good reason and he gave you another chance. The least you should do is hear him out... maybe he had a reason? And he seemed drunk..._ Teresa shook her head, "Arg!" she groaned in frustration and put her burger down. She couldn't eat and what she had just swallowed felt like it was going to come back up.

---

Bradin stared at the girl standing before him. What the hell was she doing here?? Before he could even think of anything to say, or was even sure it was real, Teresa had taken off her ring and thrown it at him. Then she slapped him, sending his face to the right. He looked slightly back at her, mentally kicking himself in the balls for getting caught like this... He was scared this would end them because she had thrown off her ring... And what she said next only worsened that fear, "We are _through_!!!" With that she ran out of the room. Bradin followed her, forgetting that any Trinity so and so ever even existed. He was keenly aware that all eyes were on him and Teresa but he ignored the fact. He chased her out of Joey's apartment. Another girl was with her and he called after her but she ignored him. After chasing her halfway to the stairs, or trying to chase her, being as how he was rather drunk, he stopped short. A cop had just appeared at the top of the stairway. Bradin knew if he so much as took 10 extra seconds to go back and warn the other party goers he'd be screwed for the second time that night. Besides nobody'd get away in time anyway... Luckily Joey had ordered all weed gotten rid of by 10'o'clock and it was quarter to eleven now. So they'd most likely only get in trouble for underage drinking. Bradin turned and headed backwards and around a corner to the elevators. He prayed they were working... they rarely did. He hit the down button and waited. Just when he thought it wasn't going to arrive, the doors opened. He slipped in and went down to the first floor where he left by way of the back exit and escaped into the darkness, blue and red lights flashed behind him in the parking lot as he cut across a back lot to the main road while all of his peers were led downstairs and into the waiting police cars.

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**Well... there she be. Y'all be honest and tell me what you think, mkay? And I'll do my very best to update quicker next chapter! But I warn you, I am EXTREMELY busy lately, so I can't promise but please bare with me! I love all of you! And I love you more when you review! Lol jk, but really, I'd appreciate it!**

_Jesus loves you,  
Anna Christie_


	27. 26: Could Somebody Please Explain?

**I do not own Summerland.**

**Really sorry for the long wait on the update, but here it is. I hope you all love it!**

**Okay, so I KNOW there are more people reading then these four and that's why I wanna say a really special thank you to y'all for actually reading AND reviewing! Haha Love you guys!**

**froggy2045**, LOL here's your next chapter. Whether it gets "fixed" or not is yet to be seen... (you're welcome for the Keith link, let me know when you get to see it, K?)

**angel_prncess_18**, she doesn't _have _to do anything. –evil laughter echoes off walls- Enjoy the chapter, girl! And thanks so much. Oh, and trust me, there's more drama where that came from! lolz

**acciodanrad9**, answers to all your Q's are in this ch! Hope you like where I'm taking this and yes, they do need to come to an understanding... but will they? Enjoy!

**Ash Riley**, hey, girl, thanks for the long review! Haha Yeah, they do and they really should. Oh, but will they? You know me, never the expected! Haha Ahh, super awesome compliment there, thank you so much!! GOOD, I hope you reply to the PM soon! I know, don't worry about it. Life gets busy, things have to wait. I understand. :- ) Enjoy the chapter!

**I really hope all of you like where I'm going with this. And, just a friendly reminder; please review if you read! (After all, this author's motivation to write is 95% reviews!) haha Thank youuuuu!!!!!!!!**

**Enjoy!**

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**Chapter XXVI**

**_Could Somebody Please Explain?_**

Teresa Coleman cracked her eyes open to the bright southern California sunlight beating down on her face through her windshield. She groaned and sat up straight, looking around at her surroundings. She must have fallen asleep last night... She thought back to the night before. She had been eating but then felt like she couldn't, gone to the lady's room then out to her car. After that she must have just fallen asleep and nobody bothered her cause people would sometimes sleep in the parking lot anyway, since it _was _near the interstate and an all night gas station. This place was on the outskirts of Playa Linda.

She opened her car door and stepped out, stretching and yawning. After a minute she got back in her car, started the engine and flipped on the air conditioner and the radio.

"6:36 now on this Monday morning. Looks like temperatures in the mid 90's today..." the DJ was saying when Teresa tuned the radio to her favorite station. "Not the most pleasant weather for our Labor Day but there will be a breeze... Either way though, I know I'm gonna be in the water when I leave here!" The DJ laughed. "And don't forget we'll be giving away presale tickets to the 3 Doors Down show at The Rock on December 1st coming up next hour. Now here's the new one from Leona Lewis, it's called 'Better In Time' right here on Z-94."

The opening piano to the song started playing and Teresa dug through her purse till she found her phone. It was almost dead. She sighed and hooked it into her cigarette lighter slot to charge while she checked her missed calls. Her mother had called her 26 times. She cringed. She hadn't meant to fall asleep... She had meant to call her mother after she ate... Otherwise Bethany had called her 4 times in a row about ten minutes ago.. Teresa figured she must be back home. She had also called her 3 times the night before. There were 14 missed texts, all but 3 from her mother. All of them expressing that she was worried to PLEASE call her. The other 3 were from Bethany and they were all from ten and twenty minutes ago, saying things along the lines of the first one, which said; _"I'm back! Where are you!!?? I went to your house and you're mom is like, freaking out! What's going on, Reese??? I'm worried... you better call me... please?"_

Teresa sighed and texted Bethany back. "Hey... I'll call you when my phone's charged. I'm fine, don't worry." She sent one to her mother after that. "Mama, I am SO sorry. I fell asleep without calling you last night... I didn't mean to, I meant to call you. I'm 100% fine, I promise. I'll call you in a few minutes when my phone's charged, unless I get home first. Please don't worry, I really am okay. I just needed a breather... I'm so sorry I worried you, Mama. I love you."

She got one back almost instantly. "Oh, thank GOD!! Teresa I've been so WORRIED!! I'll wait for your call. I love you so much, Honey."

Teresa smiled through tear filled eyes. Her mother probably hadn't slept a wink. She set down her phone and pulled her visor down, sliding open the mirror cover. Digging through her purse she found her makeup pouch and hairbrush and fixed her hair and makeup. Ugh.. she had bad breath. She scoured her purse and until she found a pack of Tic-Tacs. After a minute more she shut her car off, got out, locked it and headed into the restaurant, ordering eggs, a sausage biscuit and coffee to go. While she waited she went to the restroom. After paying for her food, she got back in her car and ate it quickly, downing the coffee at some point, then drove towards her aunt's house. Her phone was charged a little by now and she, though not a huge fan of talking on the phone while driving, dialed her mother's number before she pulled out of the parking lot.

"Teresa?" Her mother's voice came over the line, a little breathlessly.

"Yeah, it's me, Mama. I'm so, so, so sorry. I just couldn't deal with it all and just-" Teresa started to apologize but her mother cut her off.

"Baby, it's okay... I just want to know that you're okay. And I want you to come home so I can give you a hug." Karen's voice was emotional.

"I'm coming home, Mama. I'm driving right now." Teresa assured, trying not to cry at how worried her mother was.

"Good, I'll let you get off the phone and see you in a few minutes, alright?" Karen said, not wanting to hang up but knowing it was safer to drive with no distractions then it was when talking on a cell phone.

"Okay." Teresa agreed, hanging up with her mother.

She was halfway to her house, half dreading going back, half wanting nothing more when her mind wandered to the night before... when she'd found Bradin. She wondered if there was any chance he hadn't gotten caught. She figured not... he was even in the hall when the cop came up the stairs... then again, he had quit calling her and he never caught up to her so she really didn't know where he went. Maybe he hid out in the halls till everybody was gone... Or maybe not. Or- oh, shit. She hadn't called his aunt to tell her she'd found him like she'd said she would! While stopped at a red light she dialed Ava's number. After three rings the cheerful woman picked up, but she didn't sound happy. "Hello?"

"Um... hey, Ava... I uh... did you guys find Bradin last night?" Teresa asked, nervous all of a sudden.

"No. We didn't. And he's not here now either. Why, do you know where he is?" Ava replied with a question.

"He was at Joey's last night as far as I know but I don't know anymore then that. I'm sorry..." Teresa slightly fibbed, acting as though she could have been wrong that he was at Joey's.

"I see. Thank you, Teresa. Did you contact your mother? She called here again last night."

"Yes, Ma'am, I've talked to her." Teresa said. "Would you call me if you find Bradin, please? Oh, but don't tell him I'm looking for him." She added quickly.

"Okay..." Ava sounded puzzled but she didn't press the matter. "I will and I won't tell him. Bye." She hung up. Teresa could tell Ava was nervous and worried about Bradin and probably a little pissed at him too.

Teresa reached home and hurried inside and into her mother's waiting arms. She never knew she could miss her mom so bad... and she'd only been away a night! It's not like she'd never done that before... It must have been because of the tension and worry in the air.

After the two had been in an embrace for a good minute, Karen pulled away from her daughter and held her at arm's length. Looking sincerely into her eyes, she said seriously, "Sweetheart, I just want you to know that I love you. I will _always _love you. And nothing you ever do or say or anything that ever happens to you, or anything you did or said or anything that happened to you, is _ever_ going to change that fact, do you understand?"

Teresa nodded mutely, tears rolling down her cheeks.

"I love you, Teresa." Karen held her daughter close, kissing her on the cheek.

Teresa shut her eyes, her face rested on her mother's shoulder. "I love you too, Mama... I love you too."

---

Lucas Freeman opened his eyes slowly. The sunlight hurt them and his head throbbed. "Damn hangover..." he mumbled, forcing himself to open his eyes further and figure out where he was. He sat up straight and realized he had been laying in the sand... somewhere way down the beach where nobody really went he was pretty sure. He looked to his left and remembrance slowly dawned on him. "Oh, yeah..." His brain groggily started to recall the events of the night before. He had been at Joey's in the bedroom with his friend Tim and they'd been smoking weed even though Joey'd said to quit... Somebody had shouted "the cops are here!!" and everybody had started to scramble into the bedroom and down the fire escape. After only a minute the cops got wind of it and sent somebody down there from the outside, but Lucas was one of the first ones and he got away with about 7 other people, found Bradin doing the same thing, getting away that is, and the two of them headed down to the beach together where they fell in the sand and eventually fell asleep/passed out. Lucas knew he passed out, he wasn't sure about Bradin but he was still asleep now.

"Dude..." Lucas kicked Bradin in the leg with his foot. "Wake up."

Bradin groaned and rolled over so his face was towards the sand, but in his hands, and not the sky.

"Wake up." Lucas repeated.

"I'm awake..." Bradin mumbled, groaning again. "It's wayyyy too bright."

"Yeah, I know..." Lucas agreed. "Now get up, let's get outa' here." He stood up slowly.

Bradin rolled onto his back and sat up, stretching. "Where are we going?" he asked, squinting at the sunlight.

"Sarah Sloan's." Lucas said, just deciding that himself.

"What for?"

"Shower, see if she's got any of our clothes... or anybody's." Lucas laughed. "You know, that sort of thing. It's Labor Day, we've both got stupid family things today..."

Bradin shut his eyes and frowned. "My aunt's gonna kill me..."

"Why?"

"For not coming home last night... And not even so much because of that, but because I didn't even call her or anything... you know how she hates that." Bradin grumbled. "Besides, I know they were planning something for my birthday and when I didn't show up..." he let his voice trail off.

"Yeah... lucky for me, my mom's used to me disappearing overnight." Lucas laughed. "But your aunt... yeah."

Bradin nodded. "Yeah..."

"All the more reason we should go get cleaned up." Lucas said, starting to walk in the general direction of Sarah's apartment.

Bradin stood up and followed him, brushing sand off his clothes as he went.

"So last night... you have fun?" Lucas asked after a minute.

Bradin shook his head. "No."

"No?"

"No..."

"Why?" Lucas was puzzled.

"Long story, don't feel like talking about it..." Bradin didn't really want to remember what had happened the night before. Maybe if he just forgot it all it would go away... yeah freaking right.

"Okay..." Lucas let it go.

Once the two reached Sarah's, Lucas knocked on her door. After a minute she answered it, dressed in nothing but a slinky nightgown that only went to the middle of her thighs. "Yeah?" she asked, still half asleep.

"Can we uh... use your shower?"

Sarah rolled her eyes, opening the door wider, "Come in." She looked them over as they walked in and shut the door behind them. "What'd you do last night?" she asked, puzzled.

"Slept on the beach... or passed out there anyway." Lucas laughed.

"Almost got busted by the cops..." Bradin added.

"And, let me guess, you were stone drunk?"

"Almost." Lucas laughed again.

"Well, whatever you need, it's probably here. And you guys left clothes here one time after that beach party we all had, they're..." Sarah walked into the living room. "over there." She finished, pointing to a pile of clothes on the floor. "You'll just have to dig through and find yours, cause those are everybody's who ever left clothes here!" she laughed. "I'm gonna make something to eat, you guys hungry?"

They shook their heads. "Uh... no, thanks." Neither one of them felt like eating after the night before.

"Right. Keep forgetting." She laughed once more.

"Where were you last night!?" Lucas asked. "You missed the party.

Sarah grinned mischievously, "I had my own..." As if on cue, a guy walked out of Sarah's room. Seeing the other two boys he stopped, "Oh, am I interrupting something here?"

"No, Baby, come with me to the kitchen and we can eat something. These are some friends of mine, Bradin and Lucas." Sarah pointed to each boy in turn. "Guys," she turned to the two teens, "this is my boyfriend, Paul."

Bradin nodded at him and Lucas said, "'Sup?"

"Dudes." Paul smiled.

Sarah grinned again. "Anyway, you guys help yourselves, like I said. We'll be in the kitchen."

After showering and changing, the boys accepted something to drink, declined something to eat, told Sarah thanks for everything and left her apartment.

"I'll catch you soon." Lucas said, as he parted ways with Bradin, headed in the direction of his house.

Kicking the sand, Bradin headed slowly in the basic direction of his house. He didn't want to go home... he didn't want to deal with his aunt and he didn't want any mention of his could've-been-happy birthday. He wanted to forget the whole thing if he ever possibly could. He wanted to obliterate August 31st completely from everyone's memory. Just pretend it didn't even happen... right.

Seeing his house looming into view ahead of him he stiffened. And another thing, he'd lost his phone... not good. He figured it was at Joey's... but who knew anything anymore now that the cops busted them...

Bradin honestly had no clue what time it was, he hadn't thought to look at Sarah's, but he knew it was way too damn early for him to be up with a freaking hangover. Reaching his house he went around back to go in through the kitchen. As he had suspected, the door was open, but not the screen door, and his family was eating breakfast. Dreading going inside and wishing he could instead, just go find Teresa and figure out this had all just been some crazy dream... or a wild joke, he climbed the steps, took a deep breath and went inside.

Stares greeted Bradin from all sides of the table and he avoided looking directly at anybody. His aunt, who had just sat down in her place at the end of the table that faced the back door, stared and him and said sternly, "Bradin."

He looked at her.

"I don't care if you're 18 now. For as long as you live under my roof you will inform me of where, and how long, you are going to be somewhere when you're not going to be here. Do I make myself clear?" Ava's face was set in a stern, flat expression and her voice was firm and authoritative.

Bradin suddenly realized just how much he'd been "allowed" to get away with when only Jay had been in charge over most of the summer. He decided it was much easier just to agree and let his aunt think he'd been "testing his freedom" now that was he 18, so to speak.

"Yes, Ma'am." Bradin said quietly, looking away from her.

Ava nodded once and took to pouring syrup on her pancakes.

The room was nearly silent and everybody was still mostly staring at Bradin. Ava looked up and cleared her throat giving everyone the hint that they should pay attention to something else now.

"Would you like some breakfast, Bradin?" Ava offered, seeming perfectly normal again.

Bradin shook his head and passed through the kitchen and upstairs to his room where he shut the door and fell on his bed. He could still feel the burning stares of his family. He hated people staring at him... He glanced at his clock, it was quarter to nine. He turned towards his balcony doors and shut his eyes, drifting off into a carefree dreamland.

---

"When does our Bar-B-Q thing actually 'start,' Hun?" Johnny Durant asked, coming up behind his girlfriend, Ava Gregory, and putting his arms around her waist. The two hadn't had any time together at all over the summer and, once they were both back, they felt a little shy and were both stressed and busy. But they were trying to keep a healthy relationship and anytime they got together, they made the best of.

Ava turned in his arms and wrapped her arms around his neck. "About 2... but it's really just anytime..."

"When's it go till?"

Ava shrugged. "As long as it doesn't get too rowdy, whenever." She said. "Now... I don't think I ever said good morning..."

Johnny smiled as their lips met.

"Ava!!" Susannah came bursting into the kitchen, waving a paper around. "Oh! I'm sorry-" She started to apologize for interrupting the couples' kiss but Ava cut her off.

"It's okay!" Ava laughed. "What is it??"

Susannah, obviously excited, came over to Ava and held out a paper to her.

Ava raised her eyebrows and turned her eyes to the paper. After a second, they went wide and she screeched. "Are you kidding?!"

"I can't believe it!" Susannah laughed. "Yes, they honestly want us to come to Hollywood and meet with Jessica Simpson to work together to design her winter line." She said, confirming what Ava had just read. For Ava... and herself.

"This is..." Ava couldn't find words.

"Congratulations!!!" Johnny laughed, hugging both women to his side.

"Thank you, Johnny!" they chorused, laughing.

"But can I leave the kids? I mean, how long will it be... Oh, we've already been gone the whole summer..." Ava began to fret.

"Wait, calm down! Don't give this up on a whim!! We'll talk about it all tomorrow afternoon before the kids get home from school. Neither one of us have anything to do. I checked." Susannah said, successfully calming her friend's nerves. Ever since Ava and Susannah's line had gotten picked up, they'd been extremely busy. Mostly on the phone since getting back to Playa Linda, but still. And besides, they had to keep designing!

Ava took a deep breath. "Okay. Thanks, Susannah." She hugged her friend.

Johnny smiled and gave Ava a peck on the cheek. "Bradin's still in his room." He said quietly.

"What do you mean?" Ava asked.

Johnny shrugged. "He didn't seem too well when he came home..."

"I imagine he was drunk last night." Ava frowned.

"Probably so... but something's been up with him lately... I don't know, you might just traipse up there and 'see if he needs anything,' if you know what I mean." Johnny suggested.

Ava nodded. "I probably should. I'll be back in a little while. Could you guys maybe... help Jay with the tables in the back yard? Oh, and we need to give Bradin his gifts at some point." The day before, everyone, everyone being everybody that Ava could round up who knew Bradin pretty well, had come for a 'surprise party' for Bradin. When he never did show up and couldn't be contacted, Ava served them, thanked them for coming and they all left their presents for Bradin after she promised to get them to him and let everyone know if anything had happened to him and he wasn't just MIA of his own accord.

Susannah nodded. "We got it, go ahead."

"Thanks. Oh! I promised I'd call Teresa when we found Bradin, could you maybe do that too?" Ava laughed.

"Sure thing, her number in your cell?"

Ava nodded.

"I'm on it!" Susannah laughed.

"Thanks." Ava smiled and headed up the stairs. Upon reaching Bradin's door, she knocked lightly and waited a minute. He didn't answer and she tried the doorknob, finding it was unlocked. Slowly opening the door, she peeked in and found him sitting on his balcony with the door open. "Bradin?" she said softly. He turned and looked at her, then looked down and back ahead. Closing his bedroom door, she stepped onto his balcony and sat down beside him. "You okay, Sweetie?"

Bradin didn't say anything, just stared ahead.

Ava moved closer to him and rubbed a hand over his back. "Something going on, Sweetheart?"

Bradin turned his head to his aunt. "Yeah..." he nodded. "I think I'm single again..." he laughed bitterly.

"What?" Ava didn't know there were even any problems with Bradin and Teresa's relationship, much less that they might have ended it! "I didn't know you guys were having trouble..."

Bradin cocked his head to one side then back straight, sort of half nodding. "Well, yeah... trouble, we hate each other, cheating, whatever you wanna call it."

"Are you-" Ava stopped herself. "What do you mean, Honey?" she ran a hand through her nephew's sandy blonde hair.

"Yeah, I'm serious, if that's what you were gonna ask.... I mean... I don't know..." Bradin sighed. "I'm sorry about not coming home yesterday... it's just... a lot happened. I guess I forgot about it."

Ava chuckled. "Forgot about it?"

"I was drunk." Bradin didn't even care if she knew. "Real drunk." He clarified.

"I see..." Ava tried to keep a straight face and act "parental" but the whole thing somehow seemed funny, though she knew there was nothing funny about Bradin and Teresa's relationship being on the rocks... or over... or whatever it was. Nor was there anything funny about Bradin being drunk either, actually.

"Yeah. So _I_ screwed up my first day of being an 'adult'..." Bradin bit his lip. "What'd you do yesterday?" he asked, changing the tune of the conversation and again looking at his aunt.

"Well I..." Ava didn't want to upset him by mentioning all the work she'd done to surprise him the day before...

"You broke your back doing something for me, didn't you?"

Ava half shrugged, half cringed, half nodded, whatever that is. "Yeah, but it's alright, don't worry about it."

Bradin sighed again. "Screwed up twice yesterday. Maybe I should keep counting."

Ava smiled sympathetically. It was obvious Bradin was feeling frustrated with himself. "No, Sweetie... it's okay."

Bradin rubbed his right temple. "I don't feel so great..."

"You're probably hungry..." Ava said knowingly.

"Yeah, but I can't eat..."

"What in the world happened!?" Ava asked. Bradin was usually a healthy eater, to say the least.

"Teresa caught me at a party kissing some other girl, threw her ring at me, slapped me, which, don't get me wrong, even I know I definitely deserved, said we were done, stormed out and left me to get busted by the cops..." Bradin stated, bluntly, the main events of the night before.

Ava again had to fight laughter. She really couldn't figure out why this was so funny to her... it really _wasn't_ funny. And besides, she should be getting mad that Bradin had done all that... but for some reason she wasn't. Maybe she felt a little guilty having been gone all summer... "Care to... um, _expand _upon this?" Teresa must not _hate_ him or she wouldn't have asked Ava to call her if they found him, right?

"Not really..." Bradin shook his head, leaning it on his left hand, which he had rested on this thigh, his legs and feet hanging off the edge of the balcony. His aunt was sitting cross legged, beside him.

"Are you sure?"

Bradin nodded slightly, murmuring, "Yeah..."

"Sweetheart..." Ava didn't quite know how to ask this question. "Why were you kissing another girl?" she decided to just throw it out there instead of beating around the bush. "And is that _all_ you were doing?"

Bradin nodded. "Mostly..." He turned back to his aunt. "And why? I don't know..." he laughed bitterly. "I was drunk, I was mad at Teresa and I guess..." he shrugged and didn't finish.

"I see... is that the only reason?" Ava suspected there was more to the story.

Bradin sighed deeply and stood up, leaning on the railing.

Ava stood up beside him.

"I don't know..." Bradin stared towards the ocean, his eyes intent on something.

Ava followed his gaze, she didn't see anything unusual. Some surfers, some people on the beach... "I'm guessing you do know..."

"Yeah, I know-" Bradin caught himself. "Aunt Ava..." he rolled his eyes, turning to face her. "Very funny."

"Well..." Ava shrugged, laughing, "It only proves that you _do_ know!"

"I lost my phone." Bradin decided to mention that little fact.

"You what?"

"Lost my, uh... phone?" Bradin cringed.

"When?"

"Guess." Bradin frowned.

"Bradin why _did _you get drunk last night?" Ava asked, folding her arms across her chest.

"So I could screw everything up!" Bradin said angrily.

"Stop moping." Ava said firmly.

"_Moping_??" Bradin stared at her.

"Yes, moping! Stop it. Now if you did something to upset Teresa then you need to go to her and apologize and ask her to forgive you. There's nothing else you can do. The only way to fix a wrong is by trying to make it right and the first step in that is forgiveness. Does that make sense to you, Bradin?" Ava was speaking firmly and not in the mood for self loathing.

Bradin swallowed and diverted his eyes from his aunt's face.

"I feel very sure that Teresa doesn't hate you and that if you'd just go talk to her, you might see that too. And could you try to locate your phone, please? It would be much easier then me having to buy a new one."

Bradin nodded slightly.

"Good. You should come down and eat something at the Bar-B-Q too, Bradin." With that, Ava patted his shoulder, turned and headed for his bedroom door.

Bradin watched her go, smiling to himself. She had just slapped him in the face and he didn't even care... cause she was right.

---

"Teresa!!!" Bethany Miller shouted into her cell phone. Teresa had just called her for the first time in the last 48ish hours and she'd been so worried about her since nobody could seem to find her the night before. "Where were you last night!? What happened??"

Teresa spoke softly. "I was in my car..."

"You slept in your car???"

"Mm hmm..." Teresa admitted. "Beth, maybe you just better come over..." Teresa added as her eyes fell upon her ring-less left hand.

"I'll be there in 10." Bethany assured, hanging up her phone.

"K..." Teresa hung up as well, dropping her phone on her bed she stared at her left hand. It looked and felt so naked... She thought about Bradin... and the other girl.

She looked to her dresser and saw a picture of the two of them, she and Bradin, sitting on the beach in each other's arms, smiling widely as Ava had snapped the picture, though they looked as though they probably hadn't even noticed she was there... She stood up and went over to it, fingering the gold colored, gilt frame. After a second she picked the picture up, memories of the day it was taken floating through her mind... It had been not too long after she had found out about Jerry Brown... Bradin had promised her he was hers, only hers.

"I swear if that freak, Jerry Brown, ever so much as touches you with one finger I'll have a fit! And Brae? You're completely mine now... aren't you?" Teresa had asked, softly, quietly, lovingly.

He had had to think about this for only two seconds before murmuring into her hair, caressing her face with his fingertips. "Yes. Completely." Teresa had smiled, kissed him deeply then whispered something else, "I don't want **anyone** but me to ever be 'intimate' with you again! Ever." Bradin had taken her hand and kissed it, meaning that yes, he was hers and no, no one else would ever touch him again in any intimate way.

"_Bastard_!!!!" Teresa screamed in a sudden fit of rage , throwing the picture across the room where it hit the wall and fell to the ground, the glass shattering and the pieces flying across the floor. Tears fell down Teresa's cheeks as she threw herself on her bed, burying her face in her pillow. Why did she have to love him? Why did she ever have to love him!? If she hadn't talked to him that day, they never would have gone out, she wouldn't have been there when Jerry Brown tried to kill him, he might not even be alive, he might have killed himself. He had told Teresa he was going to that day she stopped him when he was running down the beach. He might be dead!! Why wasn't he dead!? Why did she _care_ that he wasn't dead... why couldn't she let go of his ass!? Why, why, _why_!? "Damn it!" Teresa screamed again, not caring who might be hearing her.

She lay there several more minutes, silent tears pouring from her eyes. She couldn't believe herself. She was trying to let go of Bradin when she'd only broken up with him _last night_. And what's more, she hadn't given him a chance to explain himself. This only made twice he'd cheated on her and she'd only forgiven him once. He had forgiven her twice. And _she_ had gone much further then he had, she was pretty darn sure.

Footsteps bounded up the stairs and Teresa sighed, sitting up and trying to wipe away her tears just as the door burst open. "Reese!!" Bethany shouted, attacking her best friend with a hug. After a second, Bethany pulled away and sat next to Teresa, "Hey, what's wrong, girl?"

Teresa didn't know why, after she'd just 'discussed" it with herself, but she quickly blurted out, "Bradin cheated on me!!" Bethany's eyes went wide. "What?!"

"Four fucking different times!!!!" Teresa's voice was unsteady with threatening tears.

"Oh, Reese!!" Bethany exclaimed. "How bad!?"

Teresa just frowned. "Guess."

"Oh, my God!!!!" Bethany hugged her best friend close. How dare the bastard!?!

Teresa's mind whirled. He had done no such thing... okay, he had cheated once and almost cheated another time, but where the hell had she gotten the other two from!? And she made Bethany think he'd done much more then he had... She was exaggerating and she knew it. She was mad and when she was mad she usually let things get out of control... Or at least she used to. But it was too late now. Now she'd said it and she couldn't take it back or Beth would know she had lied... something she had promised Bethany she was going to work on really hard before her dad ever died. And she had worked on it. She hadn't done that stupid I'm-mad-let's-see-how-much-trouble-I-can-get-you-in-to-make-me-feel-better-but-it-won't-really-it'll-make-me-feel-worse thing in almost a year! And yet, here it was, creeping back up and sure to cause some major shit.

"Forget him." Bethany whispered, stroking her friend's head. "He's a loser and we'll make sure everybody knows it!"

Teresa cringed internally. Bethany was the queen of revenge when it came to somebody she cared about. And she most definitely cared about Teresa...

---

"Teresa..." Karen Coleman stepped into her daughter's room, pushing the door shut behind her. It was a little after ten and the Coleman's had gone to Karen's best friend's house for Labor Day and only gotten back about a half hour before.

"Hey, Mama..." Teresa looked up from a list on her desk and smiled at her mother. She was so tired of smiling at her mother. So tired of faking that everything was hunky-dory all the time. She hated her mother for having a boyfriend!!! He had come to their _family_ Bar-B-Q earlier that day. Karen had actually wanted to skip it for Teresa's sake because she said she must be tired after the night before but Teresa insisted she was fine and so they went. But Sean was there. And Teresa wasn't happy about it. It was a _family_ Bar-B-Q. And, granted, her mother's best friend was there, but she _was_ family! And, granted again, their family wasn't exactly whole anymore but still!! It wasn't intended for boyfriends. Teresa hadn't brought _hers_, so why should her mother! Alright, so she wasn't on good terms with her "boyfriend" right that second, but _still_, right??

"What are you doing?" Karen asked, sitting down on Teresa's bed.

"Oh, just checking my school list to make sure I have everything for tomorrow." Teresa turned in her chair to face Karen. "Why? What's up?"

"I just... well, I wanted to talk to you, Sweetie." Karen said gently but seriously.

"Okay... um..." Teresa set down the pencil she'd been checking things off on her list with and turned her full attention to her mother. "What is it, Mama?"

"When you got pregnant, baby... why didn't you come to your father and me?" Mrs. Coleman asked her daughter softly.

Teresa looked uncomfortable. "I just... I was scared of what you'd think of me! I didn't want, or especially Dad, knowing what I'd done... knowing that... I just..." a tear slipped down the 16-year-old's right cheek.

"Oh, baby!!" Karen stood up and came over to Teresa, embracing her as she stood up also. "We wouldn't have thought anything of you!! I wouldn't then and I wouldn't know. I _don't_ now."

Teresa pulled away and smiled slightly through her tears. "I'm sorry, Mama... I was just scared. I was only 14, I just... I don't know..."

"I thought I kept a better eye on you two then that though.." Karen laughed slightly.

"Well... it was that night we were supposed to all go to the movies together. Remember that time? Me, Carl, Bethany, Joyce, Brandon, Jake and Lindsay?"

"Uh huh."

"We got there and the stupid theater was closed because of a robbery so everybody else decided to go to Joyce's house and drink. I didn't want to drink and Carl was supposed to be with me that night so we decided to go to my house. Only, on the way, we stopped at his to get a movie." Teresa paused for a second. "We were honestly planning to come home and watch the movie in my living room! But..." she took a deep breath. "The movie was in his tree house, remember that huge tree house?"

Karen nodded, smiling at the memory of the size of the tree house. And the tree that it was in for that matter. Oak...

"Well we went up there and... having, ahem, excuse me, _conceived _three kids yourself, Mama, I'm sure you can imagine what happened next." Teresa blushed, looking down.

Karen smiled at her daughter's embarrassment. "I see... it just 'happened,' huh?"

Teresa nodded, looking back up. "Yeah... we didn't like, plan it or anything. Hence he used no condom..."

"If I remember right, you got home that night on time and everything, didn't you?"

"Yeah..." Teresa shrugged.

"Well... it's okay, sweetie. And it's okay you had an abortion. You were too young." Karen hugged Teresa to her chest. After a minute of silence, Karen pulled away and sat down on Teresa's bed, her daughter following suit.

"Now I want to ask you a question."

"Yeah?" Teresa stared at her hands which were clasped in her lap. She figured what was coming next...

"Are you and Bradin sexually active?" Karen asked seriously but kindly.

Teresa twiddled her thumbs. "We... not exactly." She glanced at her mother's face. "We've been together once." She glanced back down. "But..." she took a breath. "we're kind of... we're through." She stated simply.

Karen raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"He cheated on me last night."

"Wha-"

"See, Bradin wanted more then I was giving him..." Teresa's voice shook. She was freaking doing it again!!

"What!?" Karen stared at her daughter, whose face was still downward.

"He... just... I mean, he's not the most gentlemanly guy in the world... some- sometimes" What the _hell_ was she saying this for??

"Teresa Coleman, are you serious?" Karen put her hand on Teresa's chin and turned her face to hers.

Teresa nodded mutely, breathing a little too fast. This was stupid. Funny thing though, her mother was paying attention to _her_ for a change. She _cared_ for a minute!

"What do you mean exactly?" Karen dropped her hand, staring at her daughter, an eyebrow raised.

"I mean... he... he, um, he gets drunk." Teresa cringed. He did get drunk but he never, ever, ever hurt her when he was drunk, what was she doing?! "And just... um... I didn't exactly agree to... to what he... um... what we... did?" Teresa couldn't look her mother in the face. Why the hell was she lying like this??? She couldn't get her mother's attention at the expense Bradin's reputation! He'd done absolutely no such thing as what she was implying...

"You mean... he's _forced _you to have sex with him?!!" Karen exclaimed, standing up in anger.

"No!" Teresa cried out. She couldn't- _wouldn't_ let her mother think that Bradin had _raped_ her! Or even tried... God, her mother never, ever seemed to care. She never paid attention. Well, _now_ she would. "I- I mean..." her voice went quiet. "Not- not exactly... but..."

"What then? _Exactly_." Karen folded her arms across her chest.

"He's um... he kinda just... he bugged me till I- I let him... I- sorta... I don't know, it just... I'm sorry-" Teresa stumbled on her words.

"_You're_ sorry?? No, no, no! _He's_ sorry. Or he will be." Karen said with a look that said she was serious. "I forbid his seeing you anymore. It's time I started paying attention to you, Teresa. It's about damn time!" Karen's voice shook and she looked as though she might cry. Teresa wanted to cut her throat. She was _such_ a _bitch_. "Baby, I'm so sorry! I'm so sorry I let Carl hurt you like he did and now Bradin..." Karen hugged Teresa close as she spoke. "He will regret the hell out of what he did to you-"

"Mama..." Teresa felt sick.

"Yes, Sweetie?"

"Don't say anything to him..." Teresa's voice was low.

Karen pulled away from her daughter. "What?"

"Don't, Mama... he- he was drunk... I mean, he, he doesn't really know e- exactly..." Teresa stuttered. It wasn't right to let Bradin get in trouble for something he didn't even _close_ to do.

"You don't want me to- when exactly did this happen?" Karen changed what she had been going to ask.

"Um..." Teresa panicked. It didn't! She looked down. "One- one night at... at a friend's house..."

"How long ago, baby?" Mrs. Coleman asked her daughter gently.

"Um about maybe, I don't know exactly.... two weeks?" Teresa instantly realized she'd just lit a wildfire.

"Then he was 18. He raped you by law whether you want to admit it or not." Karen took a deep breath. "And he'll quickly realize it.:"

Teresa winced. Shit. Now she'd _really_ fucking done it. "B- but-"

"Honey," Karen held her daughter at Arm's length. "I realize how you might want to protect Bradin... but he deserves anything he'll get."

"But- I... he, I mean..." Teresa's mind raced. She could _not_ let him get in trouble for rape. He didn't rape her... An idea hit her. "How are you going to prove it?" she asked her mother.

"We'll report him, of course, Sweetie."

"I won't!!" Teresa exclaimed.

"Teresa! Darling, listen to me-"

"No. Mama... he... he didn't know what he- he was..." she looked down.

"Teresa-"

"Mother, I _won't_." Teresa said sternly, jerking out of her mother's reach. "I won't say anything to back it up."

Karen frowned. "Alright..." she took a step towards Teresa. "For now."

---

"Teresa!" Bradin had to force himself to yell out her name. It was the first day of school and everything at Playa Linda High was crazy. People everywhere, Freshmen trying to figure everything out and getting pranks played on them over and over again, teachers trying to get a grip on who was really in their classes, students trying to get a grip on which classes they were really in. And mostly, people. Lots and lots of people, all of them sporting whatever the stupid latest fashionable thing was.

Bradin pushed past several boys in his grade and caught up with the red/brown haired girl he'd just yelled to. She hadn't heard him, he assumed. "Reese..." he touched her shoulder. She whirled around and faced him. Bradin was sure he caught her blush but her face quickly turned to a scowl. "What do you want!?" she growled.

"Reese, I wanna talk to you..."

"Uh... kinda in school here, in case you didn't notice." Teresa said sarcastically.

"After school, I mean."

"Nope, sorry, can't do that. Busy. Homework, best friends, little sister... yep, can't do it." Teresa turned back to her locker.

"Teresa, please. I want to apologize to-"

"For what!?" Teresa whirled around again, anger clearly visible on her pretty face.

"For what I did Sunday..." Bradin looked down.

"What'd you do Sunday, Bradin?" Teresa said his name with poison in her voice.

Bradin looked back at her. "I..." Bethany was walking up and he couldn't make himself finish. She looked evil the way she was grinning at him.

"Hello, _Bradin_." Bethany crooned. "Teresa can't talk right now... so if you'd just um... get lost? Yeah, that'd be great." With that, Bethany engaged in a rapid, made-to-sound-important, no room for interruptions, conversation with Teresa. Bradin didn't give a damn. He pulled Teresa away from Bethany.

"Teresa, I need to apologize to-"

Teresa cut him off for the second time. "I'm not accepting apologies at this time. Sorry." She smirked. "Have a good life, bast- - she stopped herself by throwing a hand to her mouth – Oops, I mean, _Bradin_!" she smirk-laughed, turned on her heel and walked off with Bethany, who was laughing at the look Bradin was giving Teresa.

Bradin stared... what was _that_?

* * *

**'Kie, dokie, there's your update. Hope you guys like it, please let me know. I have to say this one more time. If you are reading, PLEASE, PLEASE review, okay? Thanks so much y'all!**

_Hugs,_  
_Anna Christie_

**And PS, in case I don't update again in the next 6 days; Happy Holidays!!!!! Love y'all so much and hope your Christmas is amazing and that you're with the ones you love for it! And a big, huge shout out goes to our soldiers who won't be home for Christmas. We love you guys and we're praying for your safe return. And soon. Thank you for what you do, for your sacrifice, for everything. I salute you.**


	28. 27: Will The Real Teresa Coleman

**I do not own Summerland.**

**Alright, first of all, I am SO, SO sorry. SOOOO sorry that it took me this long to update. I realize it's a horrible habit I seem to have developed. But I've had a (hopefully) good reason... First, I've been reaallly busy, second, I've had a bad, bad case of Writer's Block. And still do, but I'm trying to put something up here for y'all anyway cause I may not be able to post again for a few weeks. Which I seriously hate... cause I'm SO sorry for making y'all wait so long for updates! But I get my punishment, it seems I've lost a good amount of readers over it... and probably annoyed the ones still reading, so, again, if I haven't already made this clear, I'm extremely sorry for not updating often enough.**

**Now, my thank yous, your chapter, and a temporary hiatus.**

**razzledazzle96**, I'm really sorry about When The Smoke Clears but, like I said, I've had terrible Writer's Block and haven't been able to get ANYTHING on that one.. I'm sorry. I'm flattered you like it so much and I do plan on finishing it, it just might take a bit for me to get the ball rolling on it again. Maybe when I come back, I'll have a chapter for you? I'll definitely try my best. And I'm glad you like this story, please , please keep reading and bare with me and my delays because it means a LOT more then you might realize. Thank you and enjoy the chapter!!

**Ash Riley**, more apologies to you personally for taking so long and for not replying to your PM yet. I'll get to it though, don't worry! Yeah, cheating annoys me too but, realize, that's just it. She IS completely ruining his life... without thinking about it. Teresa has a jealousy problem, haha. Thank you so much for the compliment. I try to make it all very real-life, so, as you know, a few lies CAN snowball... fast. Hope you like the chapter, sorry for the wait.

**froggy2045**, haha... yeah, I'm sorry if Teresa's changing TOO much but I wanted to convey this idea that she's been kind of 'numb' ever since her father's death and that her true colors have yet to be shown. But now, with Bethany there, it's easier for her to be her old self... if that makes sense? I'm sorry if she's gotten a bit, um, unrealistic... Hey, now, I don't want you to not be happy. Therefor, I've decided to let you in on a little secret... I love a happy ending. Ahh I've totally gotta check out your updates!! I'll do that soon.. hopefully. Sigh, I'm officially, entirely too busy lately. And a tad lazy, if I'll be so good as to admit haha. Awe, thanks! I'm glad my 'big dramatic stuff' is real-life-like! Means a lot to hear!

**angel-prncess-18**, yeah, a LOT bitchy of her haha and very hypocritical, and I'm not asking you, I know it lol I know, but don't worry! I've got it all planned out... (I think. Haha) Okay, so I'm terrrrribly sorry for not updating right away... but um, I still hope you like the new chapter!! (And glad you liked the drama!)

**Well, here's your update! Hope y'all love it, and sorry I won't be able to update for a while. But I really appreciate anybody who's sticking/has stuck with me this far. Haha I know it's annoying not to get an update often, so, after my temporary hiatus, I will do my vvverrry best to update a LOT more often. Enjoy!**

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**Chapter XXVII**

**_Will The Real Teresa Coleman Please Stand Up?  
(Hey, that's a classic title, I had to use it once, right?)_**

Almost three weeks flew by in a blur for the teens of Playa Linda. The first few weeks of school will do that to you... especially if you're a senior.

Bradin found himself collapsing on the couch after school the following Friday. It was September 19th and he hadn't talked to Teresa since the 2nd, the first day of school. He'd seen her but she was always surrounded by a group of girls. He had finally figured out all of their names. It was Teresa and Bethany and four other girls he wasn't friends with. Katharine Shields, Anya Tucker, Gina Shay and Brianna Loxely. Bradin knew the last four from the year before as being back stabbing, gossiping, preppy, annoying little bitches. He was starting to see a side of Teresa that he didn't know existed... he guessed she used to be like this and he just hadn't seen it till now... Maybe she was finally recovered from losing her brother and dad... maybe _this_ was the real Teresa Coleman. Cool, spiteful, preppy, borderline evil, a wild child, at times, and mostly, a bitch. Maybe that was all a little exaggerated but not by too much...

"Bradin, sweetheart, could you give me a hand in the kitchen for a minute?" Ava asked, coming into the kitchen and seeing that her oldest nephew was home.

Bradin dragged himself up and followed her into the kitchen.

"Would you mind stirring that sauce over there while I prepare the actual _dish_..." Ava laughed.

"Sure..." Bradin said quietly.

"So how's school going, Sweetheart?" Ava asked, making conversation.

"It's going."

"But you're not enjoying it, correct?" Ava chuckled.

"At all." Bradin answered shortly, frowning.

"What ever happened with Teresa, Sweetie?" Bradin's aunt asked cautiously.

"She seems to hate me."

"Oh, I'm sure that isn't true, honey..."

Bradin just shrugged. "How long do I have to stir this?"

"Until I'm done with _this_..." Ava laughed, gesturing to the pasta she was cooking. "And I really am sure it isn't true. Have you tried to talk to her and explain everything?"

Bradin's mind flashed back to the first day of school. _"I'm not accepting apologies at this time. Sorry. Have a good life, bast- oops, I mean, Bradin"_ He nodded slowly, cautiously. "Yeah..."

"And?"

"That didn't go over so well..." Bradin muttered.

"Awe, sweetheart, what happened?" Ava asked softly.

Bradin laughed. "I'm not even sure... it was weird and very unlike her... So I don't know."

"What'd she say?"

"To have a good life." Bradin frowned. He looked at his aunt to find that she was giving him a questioning look. "Seriously! She did!" he insisted.

"_Teresa_ said that??" Ava could scarcely believe that _Teresa_ would have said that... and especially to Bradin. No matter how mad at him she was, Ava truly believed that the two loved each other. At least she had thought they did... now she wasn't quite so certain.

"Yes, Teresa said that..." Bradin sighed.

"Bradin," Ava turned to look at him, her eyes level with his, "were you _really_ only kissing that other girl?"

Bradin flushed and looked away from his aunt. "Pretty much..." he muttered.

"Pretty much?" Ava raised an eyebrow, taking the spoon from his hand and stirring the cheese sauce she was making herself. "What's that mean?"

"Uh... most of her clothes were off?" Bradin offered, avoiding looking at Ava.

"Bradin!" Ava exclaimed. "What exactly were you going to do??"

"What do you think I was gonna do!? I don't know, you fill in the blanks with whatever you like, I was fucking drunk!!" Bradin yelled, suddenly testy and upset.

"Language, Bradin." Ava said simply, turning down the fire on the cheese sauce. She was making Fettuccini Alfredo and grilled chicken breast.

Bradin groaned. "I don't care!" He stated.

"So you were going to sleep with this other girl? While you were engaged to a _different _girl?" Ava asked, quietly, but sternly, pulling out a colander.

"I-" Bradin started to say something but stopped himself. He shut his mouth.

"Maybe you could... answer me?"

"I can't." Bradin looked down.

"And why not?" Ava was now draining the Fettuccini noodles.

"Because... I don't know." Bradin admitted, looking back up at his aunt, who was now mixing the sauce with the noodles. "I was mad at her, I told you. I was pissed and I was drunk. And really, it's not like what I did was anything new!"

"What?"

Bradin realized his mistake just a little too late. "No, I meant... I..." he let it go. "Never mind."

"What did you mean? You've done this in the past?" Ava asked, confused.

"No, I mean... Well, yeah, kinda... but I meant..." He groaned, frustrated.

"Bradin, cheating isn't something you can just go and do and then expect the other person to up and forgive you, - she snapped her fingers – just like that!" Ava said softly.

"Aunt Ava, I didn't..." he looked away. Oh, who gave a damn if Teresa had done it first, it still applied. "I know." He bit his lip. "I've got homework and I'm not really hungry anyway..."

"But you love this meal!" Ava had thought she could get him to eat a little more then he had been, which wasn't much at all, by making food that she knew he loved. "And since when do you do your homework on a Friday night?"

"I'm sorry, I'm just not hungry..." Bradin turned and went back out of the kitchen, grabbed his backpack from the living room and headed up the stairs quickly. His aunt followed him to the kitchen doorway and watched him disappear to the second floor. She sighed just as the front door opened and Johnny walked in, closed cell phone in hand. He looked stressed but upon seeing Ava his features softened. He came up to her, kissing her on the cheek and wrapping his arms around her waist. "Bad day, honey?" she asked.

"I just got a call... news of my sister... How are Aubrey and Fran anyway? And how are they both liking school? It seems like I've been too busy to notice them lately..." Johnny rubbed his temples.

"Oh, they're fine, hun... And Aubrey seems to like school, plus, Nikki and Bradin both go there so she's fine. Fran was nervous at first but yesterday and today she came home smiling and happy, I think she's made a friend." Ava smiled as Johnny nodded, acknowledging this information. She noted that Johnny's eyes looked sunken in. "How... is your sister?" she asked very cautiously, almost changing her mind but asking anyway in the end.

Johnny frowned. "Not good... The doctor's say the cancer's still spreading and she's only got about a 43% chance of making it through..."

Ava's face cringed with sympathy and sadness. "Oh, Johnny..." she hugged him tight, rubbing a hand over his back. She'd been the comfort a lot lately, she realized... But that was fine with her. She only wished she could do something for Bradin... Ever since he moved in with her, he hadn't been the same as the last time she had seen him back in Kansas... she guessed that that was because the last time she saw him in Kansas had been the day of his 15th birthday... Jerry Brown got to him after that... he probably never would be the same. That saddened her more and she had to pull away from Johnny and turn back into the kitchen, saying over her shoulder, "Dinner's ready, would you tell everyone?"

Johnny understood she was getting upset, though he thought it was because of his sister, so he said okay and went upstairs.

On his way to the upstairs bathroom to wash his hands, Johnny rapped on the boys' and Nikki's doors. Nikki opened hers and the three girls, she, Aubrey and Fran, piled out of her room and stamped downstairs, laughing and talking the whole way. Derrick came out of the room that he and Bradin shared, leaving the door ajar slightly and went downstairs, poking Nikki in the back of the head as he did. "Stop it!!" She screeched after a minute. Johnny shook his head, laughing. He came back out of the bathroom and caught sight of Jay helping Susannah bring suitcases downstairs. He had forgotten that she was flying to Hollywood tonight to meet with the people who were going to hook Ava and her up with Jessica Simpson to work on her winter line. Ava would be joining Susannah next week when they officially met Jessica... Susannah was just going to deal with the corporate jerks.

"Hey, you two, dinner's on the table. Put that off and come eat." Johnny said, following them downstairs.

Susannah looked up and sniffed. "Mmm, it smells delicious!" she said decidedly, smiling, "Alright, we will. I'm done anyway, if you could just grab that last one right outside my bedroom door, please?" she asked, looking at Johnny.

"Sure could."

"I got it, mate." Jay offered.

"No, it's fine, I've got it, you two go." Johnny smiled. Jay shrugged and followed Susannah into the kitchen.

Johnny went upstairs and passed the boys' room, got Susannah's suitcase, passed the boys' room again and went downstairs, leaving the suitcase with Susannah's other two. He looked back upstairs. Funny Bradin hadn't ever come out of his room... or shut the door after Derrick left it slightly open.

Johnny again climbed the stairs to the second floor, this time striding to Bradin and Derrick's room and knocking softly on the door. After a second and no response, he pushed the door open. Bradin wasn't there he realized. "Uh oh..." Johnny shook his head and went back to the first floor and into the kitchen. Everybody, except for Bradin, was gathered around the table, laughing and talking as Ava and Susannah served everybody's plates. Johnny headed for Ava to tell her that Bradin wasn't in his room but she spoke first. "I guess Bradin's still not hungry, huh?"

"Uh... I guess so." Johnny decided not to say anything for some reason. Even though he knew he should. He really did know he should... "I'm not even sure he's up there." He added.

"Oh... great." Ava said sarcastically. "Where did he get to now?" She turned to the table, clearing her throat and getting everyone's attention. "Does anyone know where Bradin is?"

Shakes of heads went all around the table and Ava frowned slightly. "Okay, don't worry about it, thanks." She finished making Johnny a plate and sat down across from him. Susannah had made herself and Ava's plate so it was already waiting for Ava when she sat down. She smiled at Susannah who smiled back. Everyone held hands and bowed their heads. After a short prayer, everyone dug in, exclamations of, "This is _delicious!!" _being thrown at Ava from all directions. "Thank you." She smiled outwardly, but in the back of her mind she was worried about Bradin. He loved Teresa and Teresa's un-Teresa-like behavior bothered her... where would Bradin have gone anyway?

---

Bradin left his house by way of his balcony, one place in mind. Teresa's. He had noticed she'd been with her "crowd" lately... he thought that maybe if he could catch her alone he could talk to her rationally about what had happened.

However, when he arrived at her house he was surprised to be turned away by Teresa's mother, Karen Coleman.

"Hello..." she said shortly, frowning deeply at Bradin.

"Um... is Teresa here?" Bradin asked, feeling somewhat nervous due to Karen's unusual unfriendliness.

"She's just about to sit down to dinner." Karen replied. No, "sweetie," no, "sorry about that" not even "Bradin."

"I don't mean to be rude but I just want to tell her something... it would only take one minute..." Bradin knew that, if she would talk to him, it would be longer then one minute, but he just had to see her.

"Not today." Karen started to close the door but Bradin put out his hand, stopping her.

"Please, Mrs. Coleman... I just need to tell her something... just one thing."

Karen's face, which was unusually stern looking, turned to an even deeper frown. "I'm sorry. I can take a message but that's all." She said sternly.

Bradin took a deep breath. He shook his head, breathing out. "No... Thanks, but I need to say this myself."

"Then you'll just have to tell her some other time. Now, if you'll excuse me..." With that, she shut the door in his face. He sighed, biting his lip. That was also weird. Of course, all things Teresa-related seemed to have been weird since the 31st.

He turned and circled the house till he could see Teresa's window. The light was on. He stood there a second, thinking about throwing a small shell at her window... if he could find one that would be sure not to do any damage to the window itself. He was just about to turn and look when her balcony door opened. She walked out, sliding the glass door shut behind her and turned to the ocean, resting her hands on the railing of her balcony. She looked straight for the longest time before glancing down. Her eyes caught sight of Bradin and she stared. After a good minute of silence she whispered loudly, "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to talk to you."

Teresa rolled her eyes, not that Bradin could tell that from the ground, and hissed, "What the hell for!?"

"Teresa, please, _please_ come down here and just let me talk to you... just five minutes, I promise that's all."

"Don't promise me shit, Bradin." She snapped.

"Teresa... please. Just five minutes." Bradin persisted.

She didn't know why she did it but she agreed. Silently. She disappeared back into her room, her light went out and about a minute later, she stepped around the house, having come out the front door. "What is it?" she asked flatly.

"Teresa, I..." Bradin had known what he was going to say... he'd had it all planned out. All he had to do was say it and yet, he couldn't bring himself to. She had cheated far worse then he had, both times, and here she was being a stubborn bitch to him on his second chance.

"You what?" she frowned.

"I don't get you... lately." He changed everything he'd been going to say.

She didn't say anything. "What is that supposed to mean?!" she snapped finally.

"Just what it sounded like. You're hanging out with _Brianna Loxely_??" Bradin said this incredulously making Teresa growl back, "She's my _friend_, Bradin. What's your damn problem with her!?"

"She's a fucking bitch!!" Bradin said as though anybody who didn't know this must be crazy and that it was common knowledge.

"Humph. What-ever!" Teresa broke the word up. "You're only saying that because she knows what really happened on your stupid birthday!"

"_..your stupid birthday!"_ The words stung Bradin but he chose to ignore them. "And what is that?" he asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

Teresa, planting her right hand on her right hip and leaning to the left, spit out, "You slept with her!"

"What!?" Bradin exclaimed.

Teresa realized Bradin thought she meant he had slept with Brianna. "The girl I caught you with, I'm talking about." She rolled her eyes. "Dumb ass."

"What is your deal!?" Bradin asked angrily.

"So you're not denying it? Well then..." Teresa turned, and started walking back around her house, saying over her shoulder, "I think I've heard all I need to hear." With that, she disappeared around the front of the house. Bradin just stood there motionless. He dropped his hands back to his sides and sighed. This was getting extremely weird. He went back home and went to bed after making it through the battlefield that was his aunt's questioning him.

Wasn't he hungry? No. Was he sure? Yes. Was he okay? Yes. Was he sure. Uh huh. That didn't sound like it. I'm tired, Aunt Ava, not now. Aren't you hungry?? No, he had already said that. Was he completely s- YES!

Drifting into a restless sleep, Bradin dreamed he was falling... He wasn't sure where he was falling from... why he was falling... or how he had managed to be falling... but he was falling. Faster, faster... until finally he realized where he was falling from... Hollinger's Point. He also realized he was heading straight for rocks and a thick mist from the waters below... Above him the laugh of Jerry Brown echoed loudly... crazily... evilly. Bradin reached out to grab something... anything... but there was nothing. His life flew before his eyes in wild flickers... He gasped roughly, jerking up in bed, his breathing strained and too fast, his heart pounding against his chest. Where the _hell _had that come from??

Closing his eyes and breathing deeply, he tried to calm his nerves. He looked around the darkened room. Derrick was lying on his back in his bed, asleep from the looks of it as his chest rose and fell with a slow rhythm. Turning his head, his eyes fell upon the bright red, digital numbers of his clock. 3:45 it read. He was breathing normally again by now and his heart had slowed considerably. He got out of bed and walked out onto his balcony.

"God..." he stared into the sky. "What is going on?" he whispered to the wind, whose only reply was to breeze by, blowing his hair in compelling silence... He'd thought he was over everything to do with Jerry Brown... So why was he back... in yet another nightmare... like before. Why was he outside at almost 4 in the morning, unable to sleep for his fear, just like he used to.

He swallowed back his emotions and stared at the moon, a faint crescent in the sky. The waves washed onto the shore with a peaceful _whoosh_ and Bradin suddenly felt like being in the water. He went back in his room, put on jeans and walked downstairs and outside, making his way to the ocean.

---

Teresa went back inside after pretty much blowing Bradin off. She sat down at the table with her aunt and mother and little sister. She couldn't believe that Lillian was almost two now. And that she was almost 17...

"Did you just talk to Bradin?" Karen asked her daughter, setting a pitcher of iced tea on the table. Her face was unreadable but Teresa was pretty sure she wasn't happy that Bradin had even come over.

"Yeah..." Teresa looked at her mother. "He was trying to _apologize_. But then he just yelled at me so screw him." She rolled her eyes. WHY WAS SHE ACTING LIKE THIS?

"Well, Sweetheart... It's better you left him anyway." Karen said matter-of-factly, taking her seat at the head of the table. She looked across to her sister. Rachel just smiled sympathetically. Neither one of them, but especially Rachel, could completely decide whether they really thought Bradin was as bad as Teresa and her new friends were making him seem. But they certainly weren't going to take anyone's side _but_ Teresa's. That's family, though, right?

"So are your two friends still coming over this weekend, Teresa?" Rachel asked her niece.

"Mm hmm." Teresa nodded, smiling as she chewed a bite of meat loaf. Her mind wandered to the day she'd met Brianna and Anya. She had always thought they were evil bitches... and they probably really were but somehow they weren't to her.

"_So... Teresa..." Brianna Loxely's voice had spoken from behind Teresa._

_Teresa turned around. Brianna Loxely knew her _name_? "Yeah?"_

"_We heard what you did to that scum Bradin Westerly." Brianna had smirked on the name, glancing at her friend, Gina Shay._

"_What's that?" Teresa asked, folding her arms over her chest._

_A smug little smile crossed Brianna's face. "Put him in his place. Slapping him and throwing the ring in front of all those people?" she again glanced at Gina, who nodded, smiling the same way. "Real Bitch material." Brianna finished._

"_What do you mean?"_

"_She means, how'd you like to hang out with us from now on?" Gina spoke up._

_Teresa thought about it for a second. Brianna and her girls were the coolest girls in the school and Teresa had always seen them at parties... and they were definitely the hottest people there. When they showed, it meant a party was worth going to. And they, of course, got all the perks of being super popular. What could be the harm? Maybe they were actually nice enough girls if you were in their "circle" so why not? "Sure... but only if my best friend is in too." Teresa gave her condition._

"_Of course." Brianna smiled sweetly. "She's cool too."_

"_Cool then." Teresa smiled. So Brianna Loxely thought _she_, Teresa Coleman, was cool? Well awesome then._

They had been "friends" ever since. Even if that had only been a little over two weeks. Brie and Anya were coming over to stay for the night the coming weekend and Teresa found herself checking her room twice a day to make sure it was "acceptable." Even though Brianna hadn't _said_ anything or anything, Teresa had been to Brianna's house and _her_ room was definitely incredible... Then again, Brianna didn't seem to care what your house or car or family, or even your clothes, were like so long as you were a "Bitch." And, in her circle, Brianna was actually nice... just like she'd thought she might be. Weird, Teresa knew, but it was true.

"What exactly did Bradin say, Reese?" Rachel asked. She knew Teresa was apt to get mad and ignore things and only see the bad. But if you pressed her long enough, she'd tell the whole truth. However, Karen had told Rachel what Teresa said about Bradin having "forced" her to have sex with him. And if that was even halfway true, Rachel would kick Bradin's ass. Still, she kept both sides open, trying to get the full and true story.

"Not much... he yelled a lot." Teresa frowned and took a bite of mashed potatoes. She thought about what Brianna said happened at Joey's party...

"_You know he seriously cheated on you, right?" Brianna chewed aimlessly on a stick of celery. All six of the cool girls "crew" were sitting in the courtyard of their high school eating lunch._

"_What do you mean? He was just kissing her, wasn't he?" Teresa asked. She had been considering talking to Bradin and hearing his side of the story, but this might shed a new light on things._

"_No... they had already done it earlier that night... or so says Shariece." Brianna shrugged. "I don't know, I wasn't there... but that's what she said. She said she saw it."_

"_Really?" Teresa frowned. "Why does that not surprise me?"_

"_Because Bradin's an ass?" Gina and Katharine asked together then laughed._

_Teresa and Brianna glanced at each other. "All I'm saying is, he may not be as innocent as he seems..." Brianna said. "But, you know, if you still wanna talk to him, don't let me stop you."_

"_Thanks for the heads up." Teresa said. "I don't think I need to talk to him... I mean, if he was _really_ innocent, wouldn't he be trying harder to apologize to me?" she looked to Brianna and Bethany. Both of them nodded._

"_You said he only called you once since that night, right? And only tried to talk to you once in the hall the first day of school, right?" Anya Tucker asked._

"_Right." Teresa confirmed._

"_Then I say, let the dog come crawling back if he really didn't do anything. And if he doesn't come back, maybe he really is a bastard."_

_All the other girls nodded. "Agreed." Brianna said, ending the conversation just as the bell rang._

"Well, you said he yelled... but what was he saying?" Rachel pressed, glancing at her sister. Karen nodded ever so slightly. She too, knew that Teresa had been known to leave things out when she was mad... even add things, though Karen had noticed she hadn't done that for the past year and a half. And besides, Karen was careful not to let Teresa know there was even a _hint _of doubt in her mind about her daughter's story. And really, that's all there was. A hint. A very, very small hint.

"I don't know..." Teresa shrugged. "He seemed mad at me that I was mad at him..."

"I see..." Rachel decided to let it go. "Well..." she changed the subject. "Did you hear how well your mother gets along with her boss?" she winked at Karen.

"Oh, Rachel, please! I have Sean." Karen Coleman smiled widely.

"Gagging over here!!!" Teresa pretended to yell, making her aunt and mother laugh and Lillian scream, imitating Teresa, "Gag!!" Everyone laughed. Teresa smiled outwardly but she seethed inside. Sean...

"And you know, I might even give him another chance and forget the cheating if... if he hadn't, you know." Teresa spoke up quietly, pretending to fight tears, making her aunt and mother nod softly and drop the conversation of her mother's boyfriend. Teresa took a bite of food. That's right, shut up about Sean and pay attention to her for a damn change. Sean could go suck his own-

"If he comes back here, I want you to tell me because I have something to say to him." Karen said, anger in her voice, interrupting the nasty thoughts running through her daughter's head.

Teresa eyed her mother suspiciously. "_What _are you going to say to him?" She felt sick all of a sudden and couldn't swallow her food. Why was she doing this to Bradin?!?

"I'm only going to warn him, that's all." Karen said this in a tone that meant she had closed the discussion. "Pass the rolls, please, sweetheart?"

Teresa forced a smile, handing her mother the bowl of dinner rolls. Warn him?

---

Bradin wasn't sure how long he'd been sitting there on the shore until the sun began to creep up behind his back. He just kept staring at the water. He had gone in earlier, then sat there the rest of the night... or morning, however you looked at it. His hair was still damp as well as his clothes. He stood up, brushed the sand off his legs and pulled his jeans back on, which he'd taken off when he went in the water earlier.

Turning and going back up to his aunt's house he noticed Nikki standing on her balcony. She saw that he saw her and seemed to smile knowingly. She'd been watching him, he realized. Looking down, he trudged into the house and quietly up the stairs. He wasn't surprised to see her waiting for him at the top. "Hey..." she whispered. "You okay?"

Bradin's first instinct was to nod, smile and say he was fine, but instead, he just stared.

"Bradin?" Nikki asked softly. "What's going on?"

"I don't know..." he answered as truthfully as he would allow himself.

"Do you need to talk about anything?"

"Yeah... I need to. But I don't want to." Bradin's voice was flat, his expression matching.

Nikki wasn't quite sure how to react to such truthful bluntness. She was silent a second, they both were. Finally she recovered from her temporary dumbness by softly saying, "Since you need to... why don't you just go ahead and do it?"

Bradin dropped his gaze and shook his head, swallowing. "No." He said shortly, biting his lower lip.

Nikki hugged him close. "I love you, Bradin." Bradin, his face bleak, just nodded into her shoulder. "I know... I love you too, Nik." He assured as the two pulled apart. "And my door's always open... or, well, you know what I mean." She laughed slightly, making him form a smile for the first time since he'd gone to Teresa's the day before. "Same." He said. Nikki nodded and the siblings parted ways, Nikki heading downstairs, Bradin into his room to get clothes then into the bathroom, showering and dressing in jeans and a green T-shirt. After eating a quiet breakfast with his family, all of whom seemed to be lost in their own thoughts today, Bradin disappeared down the beach, telling his aunt he was hanging out with Lucas and probably wouldn't be back till late... possibly the next day. She had objected to this but he pretty much ignored her and left anyway, sure he had heard Johnny say, softly, "Let him go, Ava..."

Head down against the wind, which was strong today with a final "summer storm" threatening on the horizon, hands in his pockets, Bradin made his way towards his best friend's house. Once he got there he was met outside by Lucas, Joey Marvin and Marcy Peters. They were all sitting around talking and laughing.

"Bradin!" Joey came forward and grabbed Bradin's hand in a guy-ish handshake. "Yo, by the way, I think Teresa... um, dropped this?" He said uncertainly, not sure if "dropped" was the right word. Bradin looked confused until Joey handed him the engagement ring that Bradin had given to Teresa. Bradin breathed out. "Thanks..." he muttered. Joey nodded once, trying to figure out what this meant but not getting an answer as Bradin stepped around him and sat down beside Lucas, leaning his head back against the house, the same way Marcy was doing.

"What's happening, man?" Lucas asked, looking over at his friend and thinking how Bradin looked too tired, not for the first time.

Bradin shrugged, shaking his head. "Nothing."

"Like shit, nothing. What's going on?" Marcy asked, having only to turn her head to the right to see his face.

Bradin stared straight ahead. "I _screwed _up." He said blandly.

"What'd you do?" Marcy asked. Marcy was the kind of girl who thought you should just up-and-out-with-it! But Bradin hadn't ever been that way, wasn't that way now, and probably never would be that way so he turned to face her and said, dead serious. "I killed somebody."

Marcy's eyes narrowed, scrutinizing him. She cocked her head to one side. "You did not."

Bradin nodded. "Yep..." He looked back ahead to find Joey standing in front of him and Marcy, looking confused. Lucas was chuckling. "Yeah, right, man! Cause if you had, I'd've been right there with you and I wasn't, so you didn't."

Bradin looked across Marcy to him. "Yeah..." The faintest smile came over his face, "That's how it would've gone down."

"It would have!" Lucas insisted.

"I know, I just said it would have." Bradin agreed with him, smiling full out this time. He looked back ahead. "I sometimes feel like I did though..." he mumbled under his breath, too quiet for anyone to catch.

"What's that?" Marcy asked, glancing at him, her face now relaxed because she knew Bradin was only joking, just like she'd suspected.

"Oh, I uh, I said 'I sometimes wish I could...' you know, just cause some people are such asses..." Bradin lied.

"You do not."

Bradin shrugged. "No, I guess not... I don't know what I'm saying, I need to get drunk."

"That's actually the _last _thing you need to do right now." Marcy laughed at him. "The last."

"Not really..." Bradin argued.

"Brae, you did get your cell from Alicia at school, right? " Joey broke into the middle of this conversation.

Bradin nodded, "Yeah, thanks."

"No problem, just making sure you got it." Joey smiled easily.

"I did." Bradin assured. Joey's brother bailed Joey out of jail the 1st of September, after the party on the 31st. Joey had gone home and cleaned up the mess, found Bradin's phone, given it to his, Joey's, best girl friend, Alicia Nichols, to give to Bradin at school Tuesday as Joey wouldn't be going for the first week. But it was already worked out with the principle, because Joey had to finish working that last week, then he was being switched to part-time. Confusing much?

"Lucky your brother had the money to get you out." Bradin commented. "My aunt and Johnny would've just left me there to do the time... well, Johnny would have anyway."

"Yeah, real lucky, cause I really need to finish my senior year and be done with it. I'm thinking about college..." Joey said, losing himself in thought even as he spoke.

"That's cool..." Bradin's voice faded away and silence fell upon the four teens.

"So..." Marcy started, "What are you guys all doing tonight?"

"Party." Came the answer from Lucas and Joey. Bradin just stayed silent.

"Seriously?" Marcy asked.

"Well, yeah, I mean, bonfire on the beach, everybody's gonna be there, all ages." Lucas grinned at her, making Marcy turn her head away, slightly flushing.

"Okay, smart ass, take me with you."

Lucas smiled. "Wanna come with me?"

"I'd love to." Marcy laughed. She could _not_ believe she was falling for Lucas Freeman!

Bradin reached over and high-five-d Lucas, half mockingly, half congratulatory, "Nice..."

Joey just laughed and Marcy shook her head. "You are SO not drinking though, just so you know that."

"Oooh..." Joey and Bradin laughed.

Lucas just smiled at her. "Two?"

Marcy shook her head. "One." she met him halfway.

"Deal." They shook on it as Joey and Bradin both laughed at them.

* * *

**Not sure it's the greatest chapter in the world, but There it be, I'll be back soon, love y'all, and PLEASE review!! Thanks a gazillion! Haha whatever that is.**

_Smile,  
Anna Christie_


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